Boks won't gamble on home soil
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has opted for continuity over experimentation this weekend in their last home game before the World Cup.
The only change to the starting line-up to face Argentina at Kings Park on Saturday that was not forced by injury is the return of captain Jean de Villiers who slots in at outside centre, with Jesse Kriel shifting out to the wing.
In the forward pack injuries to Jannie du Plessis and Francois Louw mean that Vincent Koch will make his first start at tighthead prop and Marcell Coetzee returns at blindside flank having missed the clash with the All Blacks.
There are a few changes on the bench with lock Pieter-Steph du Toit and flank Siya Kolisi in line to play their first Test matches of the year, but Meyer explained that making wholesale changes and potentially disrupting the team was a risk he was simply not willing to take as he tries to balance the need to look at his options with gaining important momentum heading into the World Cup.
"We have to win these games just to get the confidence up, there are not a lot of games before the World Cup and you have to get guys that haven't been in form to hit form.
"You also have to balance it with other guys that you want to see and want to play. It is almost a lose-lose situation but I think we covered the best of both worlds for this Test match," he said.
A defeat at home to the Pumas would be a major setback after narrow losses to the Wallabies and All Blacks, and Meyer admitted that he might have been a bit more adventurous in his selection if the team did not have to deal with the expectations of the home crowd.
"If it wasn't in South Africa I probably would have played a lot of players, but in South Africa you have to win," he said.
Instead it looks likely that the 'friendly' match in Argentina next week will feature a much-changed side, with the rest of the squad set to stay behind in Durban and work on their fitness building up to the World Cup.
"There are a few guys that are going to get a chance next week, it is not a chance because they have worked hard and deserve it.
"We only have three weeks for real fitness so the plan is going to be to give some other guys a chance and the others will stay and do some real fitness for two weeks.
"The plan was always to take a team there [Argentina] and let other guys do fitness but you still need to go out there and win, and even with your top side it is difficult to win there and every team in the world is difficult to play against.
"In a sense it is the right thing to go with other guys but you also want to win. Winning is probably the best motivation and the best means of going forward," said Meyer.
This week however Meyer has kept the changes to a minimum in a bid to build confidence before they set their sights firmly on the World Cup.
"I just felt we needed some sort of continuity going forward. If you look at our forward pack three of our tightheads, a lock and a loose forwards injured we haven't had a lot of continuity.
"We really want to make an improvement, I think we played well on attack and we have got a great backline going forward, but we still have to win games going into the World Cup.
"The great thing is that a lot of players have got a chance and with the backs we wanted to have some sort of continuity, especially the nine-10-12," he explained.
Although the centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel have been the major success story to come out of their two defeats in the Rugby Championship so far, Meyer feels they will lose little with the experienced De Villiers at outside centre and Kriel still in the equation on the wing.
"It was a very difficult decision, I thought they were brilliant as a combination especially with Handre [Pollard] as well.
"Jean has been great for us and it is not just what he adds on the field. He was the South African player of the year in 2013 and it is just what he brings around him.
"We want to give Jesse and Damian as much gametime as possible going into the World Cup. There was also the question of bringing Jean off the bench but it is better to start a player like that to see where he is," he said.
The Bok coach is convinced that Kriel will add massive value out wide, especially given his experience at fullback under the high ball.
"If you look at one of the common trend in the world now to go with two fullbacks, New Zealand has done it and Australia do it every now and again.
"Against New Zealand we lost because we lost the aerial battle on the wing and I just felt that it gives us another option there to give him gametime. He is great under the high ball so we have two fullbacks there.
"Damian and Pollard now are combining well and the great thing about Jean at 13 is that he has played there with Jan [Serfontein] although he wore the number 12 jersey.
"Defensively we haven't been that astute at 10-12-13 so you want to bring your captain in, there are only two games left and you have to show that he is ready for the World Cup.
"You also want to keep improving Damian and Jesse and it is tough for a guy like Jan [Serfontein] as well, he was our best centre last year and hasn't played a game but I just felt that those guys are doing well and we just have to keep the continuity going forward," he said.
He admitted that there was a big temptation to have a look at some players who have not yet got an opportunity to start in the Rugby Championship, but he also does not want to underestimate Argentina and risk another defeat at home.
"It has been one of the toughest weeks for me as Springbok coach because you have got 40 players and every single guy wants to play.
"Although I love the Rugby Championship it is not the ideal situation as you probably need some friendly games as well. A guy like Morne [Steyn] was close to the side and he is not available next week which probably means he is not going to get a chance and he wants to play himself back into contention. He was brilliant in the French league, and a guy like Elton [Jantjies] has done well in Super Rugby.
"Pat [Lambie] has not played a lot but I just felt that we still have to go and win the Test match. Pollard is now just starting to get back to form, he is really doing well with Ruan [Pienaar] who is also getting form and with Damian [de Allende] there.
"Already with Jean [De Villiers] and Jesse [Kriel], you don't want to start with a whole new backline.
"I probably wanted to give Pat a run at 15, but I thought we have to have some sort of continuity in this game," he added.
By Michael de Vries, in Durban
