Bok team named for Japan QF

The Springboks have reverted to the starting XV and replacements that recorded a 49-3 victory over Italy a fortnight ago for the do-or-die Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Japan in Tokyo on Sunday.

It means 13 changes to the starting XV from the one which concluded the Boks’ pool campaign with a 66-7 demolition of Canada in Kobe last Tuesday.

Only Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Damian de Allende – who switches from outside centre back to the more familiar inside centre position – are retained from the Kobe XV.

They are joined in the line-up by the balance of the starting XV from the seven-try-to-nil overwhelming of Italy in what has become a familiar ‘senior’ line-up.

“We were satisfied with the performance against Italy and want to build on that,” said Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby.

“We have been improving and building momentum this season and we will be looking for further improvements this weekend.

“Japan are a well-coached team and have deservedly climbed to seventh in the world rankings. It’ll be a good challenge but we’re definitely up for it.”

Front rankers Tendai Mtawarira and Bongi Mbonambi, as well as Lood de Jager retain their places in the starting line-up, having been elevated to the XV from the one which lost against New Zealand in the opening match of the tournament.

The starting XV boasts 665 caps – the most in a Springbok team since the 2015 Rugby World Cup – when the squad included three Test centurions in Jean de Villiers, Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana.

“When we set out on this campaign at the start of last season, one of the things we said we wanted to do was broaden and deepen the experience in the squad,” said Erasmus.

“We’re now in a position where everyone in the starting XV has had a proper taste of top-level Test rugby and we’ve got a strong spine of Test experience for these high-pressure matches.

“You need that experience when it comes to handling the pressure situations we will face on Sunday and I think we’ve achieved that now.”

The team to meet Japan contains five players with 50 or more caps in Willie le Roux, Duane Vermeulen (who wins 50^th cap as a No 8 – a Springbok record), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and centurion Mtawarira. There are another four players in the 40s in Kolisi, De Jager, De Allende and Handré Pollard.

Twelve of the starting XV – and 21 of the 23 – were in the team that overcame Japan six-tries-to-one (41-7) in Kumagaya, Japan, six weeks ago. The only absentees are Trevor Nyakane (prop) and Jesse Kriel (centre), who have both been invalided out of the tournament.

De Jager and prop Vincent Koch – who is on the bench – are the only two players who were not in the match 23 for the victory over Japan.

Erasmus again announced a six-two replacement split in favour of the forwards (rather than the traditional five-three), as was successfully deployed against the Azzurri.

“We will look at our replacement strategy on a game-by-game basis and for this opponent on this occasion we believe we’ll need fresh legs among the forwards at some point,” said Erasmus.

“We’re very fortunate in that we have a squad that has a number of highly versatile players among forwards and backs who can slot into a number of positions to cover all eventualities.”

The Springboks are aiming to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals for the fifth time in seven appearances while, for Japan, it is their first appearance in the play-off rounds at the ninth attempt.

The winner will play the victor in the France v Wales match in Yokohama on Sunday, 27 October.

South Africa’s quarter-final with Japan kicks off at 12h15 (SA time, 19h15 local) and is available on SuperSport channel 201 and SABC radio.

The Springbok team to play Japan in Tokyo on Sunday is:

15. Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, Japan), 58 caps - 60 points (12 tries)

14. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), 12 - 35 (7t)

13. Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), 12 - 15 (3t)

12. Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), 44 - 25 (5t)

11. Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), 11 - 55 (11t)

10. Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), 45 - 410 (6t, 70c, 76p, 4d)

9. Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), 27 - 15 (3t)

8. Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls), 51 - 15 (3t)

7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), 52 - 25 (5t)

6. Siya Kolisi (captain, DHL Stormers), 47 - 30 (6t)

5. Lood de Jager (Vodacom Bulls) 42 - 25 (5t)

4. Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), 82 - 15 (3t)

3. Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), 35 - 5 (1t)

2. Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), 33 - 35 (7t)

1. Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), 114 - 10 (2t)

Replacements:

16. Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), 30 - 25 (5t)

17. Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), 44 - 5 (1t)

18. Vincent Koch (Saracens, England) 18 - 0

19. RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls), 20 - 5 (1t)

20. Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), 36 - 5 (1t)

21. Francois Louw (Bath, England), 73 - 50 (10t)

22. Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), 8 - 20 (4t)

23. Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France), 64 - 141 (11t, 7c, 21p, 3d)

Facts and Stats

Japan qualified to play in the quarter-final match of the ninth Rugby World Cup tournament by winning all four pool matches in Pool A. It is the first time that Japan have progressed beyond the Pool stages in nine RWC tournaments.

Japan competed in all RWC tournaments between 1987and 2015, winning four Test matches from a total of 28. Their first win against a Tier 1 country was in 2015 against South Africa with a score of 34-32. At the time it was described as the “greatest RWC shock ever”.

In this year’s tournament the Brave Blossoms won all four of their pool matches which included Ireland and Scotland. Less than a month ago Ireland was ranked first on the World rankings with Scotland in seventh place and Japan in 10th. The current rankings are Ireland (4th), South Africa (5th), Japan (7th) and Scotland (9th).

This will be the third encounter between the two countries and the Springboks’ record to date is as follows:

TEAM MATCH RECORDS AGAINST JAPAN

• Most points: 41
• Most tries: 6
• Most conversions: 4
• Most penalty goals: 2

INDIVIDUAL MATCH RECORDS AGAINST JAPAN

• Most points: 15 – Makazole Mapimpi
• Most tries: 3 – Makazole Mapimpi
• Most conversions: 2 – Patrick Lambie, Handré Pollard and Frans Steyn
• Most penalty goals: 1 – Patrick Lambie and Handré Pollard

MISCELLANEOUS

• The total test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 665.
• There are 209 caps in the backline with 456 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 293 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 30, the forwards 57 while the players on the bench average 37.
• The average age of the starting XV is 28.

RECORD WATCH

• Handré Pollard needs two tries to equal the career record of eight tries as a flyhalf held by Morné Steyn.
• Duane Vermeulen will play in his 50^th Test match as a Number 8. The most by a Springbok player.

MATCH OFFICIALS

• The referee is Wayne Barnes of England. This will be his 15^th Test match as a referee with South Africa involved and his 88^th Test match in his career.
• The assistant referees are Ben O’Keeffe of New Zealand and Luke Pearce of England while Rowan Kitt from England, will be the TMO.