Springbok team: Manie Libbok starts ahead of Handre Pollard

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named an experienced team – including 15 players who featured in the 2019 final – for their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday evening.

Kick-off is at 21:00 (SA time).

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Eight players in the starting lineup will run out in the same positions as they did in the memorable 2019 final victory against England: Siya Kolisi, who will again lead the team, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen, Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe.

Furthermore, only two players in Sunday’s starting team, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Manie Libbok, and two more on the bench, Deon Fourie and Ox Nche, were not part of the 2019 RWC squad.

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Every player in the pack has played more than 60 Tests. Steven Kitshoff, Mbonambi and Malherbe will pack down in the front row, while Etzebeth and Franco Mostert will pair up at lock, with Kolisi, Du Toit and Vermeulen forming the loose trio.

In the backline, Libbok and Cobus Reinach will join forces in an exciting attacking halfback combination, with De Allende and Kriel on duty in the midfield, Cheslin Kolbe and Arendse on the wings, while Damian Willemse will be at fullback.

Nienaber’s replacements bench features five forwards and three backs. Deon Fourie serves as the impact hooker, with Ox Nche and Vincent Koch (both props), RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward).

The three backline players among the replacements are also very experienced, with a combined total of 209 caps between Faf de Klerk, Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux.

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In total, the starting team shows 12 changes to the side that defeated Tonga 49-18 in Marseille 13 days ago, one of which is the positional switch of Vermeulen from No 7 to his specialist role at the back of the scrum.

The starting lineup shows only two changes from the team that faced Ireland, where De Klerk was at scrumhalf and Jasper Wiese at No 8.

“We’ve been working with most of these players since 2018 and we’ve been building a squad capable of defending our title,” said Nienaber.

“We believe this group will offer us the impetus we need against a quality French side that will be playing in front of a passionate home crowd.

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“Most of these players have Rugby World Cup experience and several of them were involved in the 2019 final, so they know what it takes to perform in big moments.

“Twenty of these players also featured in the matchday squad that faced France in Marseille a year ago, which was a good dress rehearsal for what we can expect from France and their supporters.”

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Nienaber relished the prospect of facing the hosts at one of the world’s iconic rugby stadiums in the quarter-final.

“It’s going to be a massive clash for the players and supporters and we are looking forward to it,” said the Bok coach.

“We’ve been working toward this World Cup since 2018 and now we can book a place in the semi-final, so we have to go out there and give everything.

“It’s do or die, so we have to be accurate in executing our game plan and we have to capitalise on our opportunities because the margins will be small.

“We know the match is going to be as intense as last year, if not more intense, and in that clash we had a red card and we were in with a chance to win it with three or four minutes to go, so we have to give everything for the full 80 minutes and ensure that we are extremely disciplined.”

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TEAMS

South Africa

15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Willie le Roux

France

TBA

STATS AND FACTS:

Springbok record against France

Played 45; Won 27; Lost 12; Drawn 6. Points for: 965, Points against: 692. Tries scored 107, Tries conceded 61. Highest score 52-10; Biggest win 42 points. Average score: 21-15. Win % 60%.

Milestones:

• Eben Etzebeth will equal Tendai Mtawarira’s 117 Test caps, meaning they will share third place on the list of most-capped Springboks.
• The 880 caps in the starting team is the second-most ever for the Springboks – the most experienced team, with 891 combined caps – ran out against Samoa at Rugby World Cup in 2015.
• The starting pack is the most experienced ever fielded by the Springboks sharing 623 caps. All eight have made a half century of test appearances and average 78 caps per man.
• Eight players who will feature on Sunday, played against Samoa in 2015: Willie le Roux, Damian De Allende, Handre Pollard, Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth started, with Frans Malherbe, Siya Kolisi and Jesse Kriel on the bench.
• The two replacement props, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, are the only players in the match-23 who have not yet scored any Test points.
• Kurt-Lee Arendse enters the match with an impressive try-scoring record of 12 tries in his 12 Test matches.
• Pollard, with 665 Test points in the Springbok jersey, in in third place behind Morne Steyn (742) and Percy Montgomery (893).

Miscellaneous:

• This is just the second time France and South Africa have met at the Rugby World Cup. The previous meeting was in 1995 when the Springboks edged the semifinal 19-15 in a Durban downpour.
• France (10 times) and South Africa (eight times) are two of just three teams to have reached the quarter-finals in each edition of the Rugby World Cup that they have participated in (also New Zealand, 10).
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 880.
• There are 257 caps in the backline, with 623 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 359 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 37, the forwards 78, while the players on the bench average 45.

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