WeeklySA_AdminTONGS AND HAMMERS: MAPIMPI LEADS BOKKE IN SQUAD WITH SEVERAL RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNERS AGAINST THE WOUNDED ROMANIANS
By Ali Mphaki
The fashion police may still to report-back on their findings about the peppermint-and-white new Boks strip, but fans can look forward to another hammer and tongs performance when SA lock horns with Romania on Sunday.
The Oaks, as the patriotic Romanians are called, will be expected to throw everything at the Springboks, despite suffering an 82-8 defeat against Ireland in their opening match, and they suggested that they could rotate their squad this week.
The Bokke, on the other hand, approach this game with their tails slightly-up, following their nail-biting 18-3 win over tough-as-teak Scotland last Sunday.
Apart from casualties, bandages and the doctors “off and on like a couple of cuckoos popping out of a broken clock”, as observed by the BBC, the match saw nine scrums, and Scotland’s pack did brilliantly to win two of them against the head, something no one has done against South Africa so far this year.
The second of them, from five metres inside South Africa’s half, led to Scotland’s solitary penalty goal.
It is no wonder that Boks coach named all four scrumhalves in the squad to face The Oaks, as he spread the playing load for the team’s second Pool B Rugby World Cup clash when Bongi Mbonambi will lead the team in Bordeaux.
The 14 other personnel changes in the starting team, see Canan Moodie (centre) and Jean Kleyn (lock) return after not being available for selection because of injury in game one. Moodie resumes his Twickenham midfield-partnership with the hard-running Andre Esterhuizen, while Kleyn partners Marvin Orie in the engine room.
Nienaber also named a quality forward pack with Ox Nche, Vincent Koch (both props) and Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) joining forces in the front row, and Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith (both flankers) and Duane Vermeulen (No 8) forming a new loose trio.
“Romania are a patriotic team and they will be playing for their country. It is a massive opportunity for them to play against us because such occasions are very rare, so they will give everything.
“They scored the first try in their opening match against Ireland, they showed real skill in a number of areas of their game, and they fought throughout the match, so we know what we are in for.
“Obviously from our perspective it is important to build momentum in our campaign and this match plays a vital role in our plans for the tournament, so it is important that we follow through with our plan in this match.”
The Springboks had their last training session in Toulon on Thursday before settling in at their base in Bordeaux for Sunday’s match.
The encounter kicks off at 15h00.
