Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber is sticking to both his selection and tactical guns after revealing his team for the Rugby Championship finale against the All Blacks on Saturday.
World champion South Africa’s ultra conservative, kick heavy game plan has been widely panned as boring and unattractive and after three straight losses it is no longer delivering the results needed to keep swatting away the critics.
But Nienaber – credited as the defensive mastermind of the 2019 Rugby World Cup win – doubled down in making no apologies while making two injury enforced changes to his squad.
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Starting prop Ox Nche is in for Frans Malherbe (neck) while loose forward Jasper Wiese is on the bench for Marco van Staden (shoulder).
Nche will pack down on the loosehead side with veteran Trevor Nyakane switching to tighthead.
“We made a big step up in terms of our performance last week and having reviewed the match, there is no doubt we delivered a performance worthy of a victory,” Nienaber said.
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“Last week we stuck to our DNA and style of play, and with a little more luck we could have come away with the result, so we need to ensure that we are better at it this week.”
The Springboks kicked the ball 38 times compared to New Zealand’s 18 in the dramatic 19-17 loss in Townsville last weekend, a result which delivered the Rugby Championship trophy to the new world No.1 All Blacks.
South Africa also passed the ball just 65 times in that loss while the Kiwis completed 141.
“We are bitterly disappointed about the results in the last few weeks and everyone in our team realises the importance of finishing the Rugby Championship on a winning note,” Nienaber said..
“Every member of the squad will have a role to play in ensuring that the players on the field are at their best on match day, and we have no doubt that if we can build on the strong points of our game last week and improve further on the execution of our game plan, we can get the desired result.
“We know it is going to take a colossal 80 minute effort, but the drive to succeed and motivation to win this weekend is as big as it gets.
“We are ready for this challenge mentally and physically and we know what we are capable of as a team, so we’ll go out there and give everything we have.”
The All Blacks will name their team on Thursday, with five-eighth Richie Mo’unga back in the selection frame after clearing hotel quarantine.
SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux, Sbu Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Kwagga Smith, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche
Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Jasoer Wiese, Herschel Jantjies, Elton Jantjies, Frans Steyn