RUGBY/Autumn international/Ireland v South Africa: All is changed, changed utterly, yet the revamped South African team to play Ireland this Saturday is largely as anticipated, based on word from inside the camp and how the Springboks had been lining up in training since last week. With several key players rested in advance of the World Cup next year, the net result shows 11 changes in personnel from the side which beat Australia 24-16 in Ellis Park two months ago.
In a bold, experimental move coach Jake White has named three new caps, all of them in the outside three. Flanking the late-developing, 27-year-old Cheetahs' fullback Bevin Fortuin will be the 26-year-old Jaco Pretorius, nominally a centre with the Lions whose career has been hampered by injury, and the Sharks' 21-year-old outhalf-cum-fullback Francois Steyn.
Unveiling his hand at their impressive retreat in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel yesterday, White spoke of the energy that the three new outside backs have already brought to the party: "On the field the nice exciting thing about them is that they've all been involved in sevens, which is probably an area we've tried to work on in terms of our counter-attack and our creative abilities," said White, who also pointed to their kicking games and work ethic.
Describing it as "a very mixed team and a very dynamic team", the recently appointed manager, Zola Yeye, congratulated the three new caps individually "in the full glare of the media" and described this as the first step in building a core of a responsible team for the World Cup. "We remain underdogs, which is very wonderful for us because there is no pressure at the moment," added Yeye.
A further example of the versatility which some teams are now seeking with the World Cup in mind, the Wallabies being the most notable example, the searingly quick Brian Habana has been chosen opposite Brian O'Driscoll in the number 13 jersey having won his previous 22 caps on the wing.
Pointing out that Habana had played all his underage rugby at outside centre, White suggested that his switch there might not merely be a stop-gap solution in the absence of the injured Jaqe Fourie, such is the unpredictably and attrition of modern-day rugby.
Taken with the continuing selection of Andre Pretorius, whose return to the side coincided with the redemptory back-to-back Tri Nations wins at home to New Zealand and Australia, it would seem that the Springboks will undertake a more adventurous and expansive approach than has been the case in recent times.
Only two forwards, captain John Smit and loose forward Pierre Spies (who actually moves from flank to number eight), and two backs - centre Jean de Villiers and flyhalf Andre Pretorius - are back for the Dublin encounter. Indeed, whereas Ireland retain seven of the starting line-up and 10 of the 22 from the countries' last meeting in Dublin two years ago, Smit is the only player left from the Bok team that lost that game 17-12.
An ever-present since White made him captain in his first game in charge, also against Ireland in the summer of 2004, Smit will equal Gary Teichman's record when he makes his 36th appearance as the Boks captain on Sunday. Although the personnel may change, some things don't, and as ever, in the Boks scheme of things, size matters.
In the absence of their rested defensive linchpin Victor Matfield, as expected the physically imposing Johan Ackermann will partner his Sharks team-mate Albert van den Berg at lock. Blue Bulls lock Danie Rossouw will play on the flank, where he regularly turned out for the Bulls in the Currie Cup competition, with the Cheetahs' Juan Smith on the other flank. Along with Spies, this gives the Boks five line-out options of 6' 4" or over.
Aside from Fourie and Matfield, the likes of Percy Montgomery, Fourie Preez, AJ Venter and Os Du Randt have been left at home. Hence, the Boks starting team has 288 caps between them, compared to the Irish XV's combined haul of 566, while accounting for their callow-looking bench, the Boks' 22-man squad has 338 tests between them, as against the Irish squad's 765.
With such a revamped side the Boks will be something of an unknown quantity not only to Ireland's video analysts and coaching panel, but, as White readily conceded, also to themselves. White also good-humouredly played down any attempts to regenerate the rancour which underpinned the meeting of two years ago arising from comments attributed to him that only three Irish players would make a combined selection.
"Just for the record I didn't say three that were good enough but I've been helped by Dr Syd Millar. He's now informed me that there's am IRB regulation that says you can't play for more than one country, so I wouldn't have been allowed to pick any of them."
He also went on to praise the current stability and structures of Irish rugby. "There are just so many positives that Irish rugby have got right, and you can see the fruits of what Irish rugby has achieved. They've made one change to their team. I mean, that's probably what most countries are envious about."
