By Nick Said
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – IRB Junior World Player of the Year Handre Pollard will receive his first South Africa cap when he starts at flyhalf in the one-off test against Scotland in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The rising Bulls star, who recently captained South Africa to second place at the Junior Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, is one of five uncapped players in the 23-man matchday squad announced by coach Heyneke Meyer on Wednesday.
“Handre is a very talented player and has a big opportunity this week, but he’ll have (scrumhalf) Fourie du Preez’s experience next to him, while he’s played a lot with (centre) Jan Serfontein before,” Meyer said in a statement.
The other four uncapped players are on the bench and consist of prop Marcel van der Merwe, lock Stephan Lewies, loose-forward Teboho Mohoje and fyhalf Marnitz Boshoff.
Other changes to the starting lineup from the side these squeezed a fortuitous 31-30 victory over Wales last weekend see wing Lwazi Mvovo, flank Schalk Burger, lock Lood de Jager and prop Coenie Oosthuizen all return to the team. The injured Tendai Mtawarira (neck), Flip van der Merwe (knee) Willem Alberts (concussion) and Johan Goosen (knee) were not considered for selection.
“Our plans had always been to try a few new combinations this week against Scotland and I’m looking forward to see the guys grab their opportunities,” Meyer added.
Meanwhile, Van der Merwe joined a long list of injured players to have been sidelined for the rest of the season after he was ruled out for six months following an examination by specialists in Pretoria.
He injured his posterior cruciate ligaments against Wales and becomes the 18th player to have joined the Bok casualty list among those considered for selection in the June tests in which the side has defeated the Welsh twice on consecutive weekends. Seven more players based in France and England have been released to their clubs and were not available for selection this week.
They are Gurthro Steenkamp, Schalk Brits, Bakkies Botha, Francois Louw, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Bryan Habana.
Team:
South Africa: 15-Willie le Roux, 14-Cornal Hendricks, 13-JP Pietersen, 12-Jan Serfontein, 11-Lwazi Mvovo, 10-Handre Pollard, 9-Fourie du Preez, 8-Duane Vermeulen, 7-Schalk Burger, 6-Marcel Coetzee, 5-Victor Matfield (captain), 4-Lood de Jager, 3-Jannie du Plessis, 2-Bismarck du Plessis, 1-Coenie Oosthuizen
Replacements: 16-Adriaan Strauss, 17-Trevor Nyakane, 18-Marcel van der Merwe, 19-Stephan Lewies, 20-Oupa Mohoje, 21-Francois Hougaard, 22-Marnitz Boshoff, 23-Zane Kirchner
