The Springboks get their Test season underway against Eddie Jones’ revamped Wallabies in the first game of the Rugby Championship at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Rugby Championship: Round 1
Springboks v Wallabies
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Saturday 8 July
To Win
South Africa 2/7 | Draw 22/1 | Australia 5/2
The Bok management have again opted to split their squad for the tournament in a World Cup year, with many of Jacques Nienaber’s first choice players having already made the trip to Auckland ahead of the All Blacks clash in round two. While the gambit paid off in a similarly truncated 2019 campaign, things may be trickier in this year’s edition.
Despite Australia’s meagre 38% win rate over the past three seasons, this new-look side is something of an unknown quantity, one which may be unaffected (perhaps even motivated) by the pressure that comes with the nation’s nought from seven record at Loftus. The world champions must take nothing for granted come kick-off.
Players like Manie Libbok, Andre Esterhuizen and Jean Kleyn will be out to make an impression and potentially secure a ticket to France later this year, while old heads like skipper Duane Vermeulen, Steven Kitshoff, Willie le Roux and Lukhanyo Am should steady the ship.
If the Boks stick to their tried and tested approach there’s no reason why they shouldn’t grind out a win on the highveld.
👏 Werner Greeff's late line-break
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) September 26, 2018
4⃣ Jongi Nokwe's four tries
3⃣ @BryanHabana's hat-trick
WATCH some of the @Springboks best tries against the Wallabies in 🇿🇦#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/NLKuaTcBOP
In classic Eddie style, the 63-year-old has informed all and sundry in the lead up to the Test season of his new side’ intention to “smash and grab” the Bledisloe and World Cups this year. Knowing Jones, though Saturday’s game marks his first back in charge of the Wallabies (with several untried combinations named in his starting XV to boot), he’d have hatched plans capable of troubling the Boks regardless.
Monster second rowers Will Skelton (2.03m 140kg) and Richie Arnold (2.08m 127kg) have been selected in hopes of matching the hosts’ famed power game, with the latter set to be introduced off the bench. Whether they can impose their physicality at altitude for a prolonged period will be vital in freeing up the Aussies’ dynamic loose trio and a backline which includes the experience of Nic White and Quade Cooper at halfback.
The likes of Pieter-Steph du Toit may look to target Cooper given the 76-Test veteran hasn’t played much high level rugby since recovering from his horror Achilles rupture, but the 35-year-old will know he has White and Reece Hodge to lean on in the tactical kicking department.
Jones has highlighted a desire to bring the Wallabies back to their traditional roots, where instinctive, “off the cuff” play formed the basis of their on-field approach. If in the months ahead they can find a way to marry a well-executed kicking game with an injection of X factor synonymous with the great Australian teams of old, they will definitely cause teams problems.
The question is whether they can achieve something to that effect from the get-go.
Who could forget Marika's unstoppable performance against the Boks last year 💪
— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 4, 2023
⏰ Sun 9 Jul 1:05am AEST
🏟 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
📺 @StanSportAU#RSAvAUS #Wallabies @eToroAU pic.twitter.com/6sK4WIUdsK
Verdict: Wallabies (8.5) 3/4
Despite the recent sweeping changes in the Wallabies’ set up, Jones will still find a way to cause the Boks problems. They’ll ultimately go down, but it won’t be by much.
Teams
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse
Australia
15 Tom Wright, 14 Suliasi Vunivalu, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper (c)
Substitutes: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Matt Gibbon, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Richie Arnold, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Carter Gordon
