Libbok surprise flyhalf pick in strong Springbok squad to face Wallabies in Rugby Championship
International Rugby
Manie Libbok will lead the Springbok backline against the Wallabies on Saturday. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Manie Libbok is a surprise starter at fly-half in the strong Springbok squad named by coach Rassie Erasmus for the side’s opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday, which also sees a positional switch to No 8 for skipper Siya Kolisi.
Grant Williams will partner Libbok in the half-back pairing, in an exciting backline that features a back three of Aphelele Fassi and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe. Jesse Kriel will combine with Andre Esterhuizen in midfield after Damian de Allende was sidelined with a knock.
Kolisi will wear the No 8 jersey for the first time in a Test match, while Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager form the second-row pairing behind a front row of props Ox Nche and Wilco Louw, and hooker Malcolm Marx. Etzebeth will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok to 134 Test appearances.
“We’ve been experimenting with player combinations during the Castle Lager Incoming Series and at our conditioning camp in the last two weeks, and we believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want to play against Australia,” said Erasmus.
“The Wallabies will be determined to change their win record against us in the last three seasons, so they’ll come out guns blazing, and we are confident that the players we selected will be up for the challenge. All of the starters except for Edwill have faced them before, and we are confident that he is ready for this challenge.”
South Africa matchday 23 v Australia
Springboks starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit , 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche; Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.