Injuries force White's selection hand
Habana back on the wing for Boks
Injuries played a major role when Springbok coach Jake White named his team to face Scotland in the second of the two Test against Scotland in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. As predicted the Boks will field a new centre pairing and a new left-wing.
As predicted the Boks will field a new centre pairing and a new left wing.
Rib injuries to the incumbent centre pair of Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie mean that the Springboks will start with Wynand Olivier and Andre Snyman in the midfield.
Olivier made his Test debut last Saturday in Durban, when he replaced the injured De Villiers in the second half. He wins his first full cap alongside Snyman, a veteran of 37 Tests.
Snyman moves from the left wing to outside centre in place of Fourie, who also damaged his ribs in a freak training accident on Tuesday.
Bryan Habana has recovered from his ankle injury and returns to the side as left wing in place of Snyman. Habana scored a season best 12 Springbok tries in 12 Test outings in 2005.
The Bok coach, White, was confident that his new midfield combination would be up for the Challenge on Saturday.
"These two guys [Olivier and Snyman] have the chance to make the position theirs," White told reporters in Port Elizabeth.
The Springbok forward pack remains unchanged.
"It's very satisfying to be able to keep the same pack of forwards," White said. "They really did well last week and laid the platform for our victory.
"I'm looking for a similar performance from them this week."
But White would have loved to have given lock Victor Matfield a break this week. Unfortunately Bakkies Botha has not fully recovered from his injury woes and won't play for at least another week.
There is, however, two changes on the replacement bench – Wayne Julies (centre) fills the spot left vacant by the promotion of Olivier, while fit-again CJ van der Linde receives the nod ahead of Lawrence Sephaka.
John Smit will lead the Springboks in his 28th Test on Saturday. The Scottish encounter is also his 32nd consecutive Test for South Africa (second only to the 39 of Gary Teichmann).
The Springboks meet Scotland on Saturday for the 18th time, but only the fifth time in South Africa. South Africa has won 13 of the previous 17 Tests and lost four. The Springboks are unbeaten at home against the Scottish.
The previous four Tests between the two countries on South African soil played were in Port Elizabeth (1960 – the Boks won 18-10), Durban (2003, 29-25), Johannesburg (28-19) and Durban (2006, 36-16).
Springbok points record holder, Percy Montgomery, now only needs six points to become the first Springbok to score 600 points in Test matches.
South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 André Snyman, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Eddie Andrews, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jacques Cronjé, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Wayne Julies, 22 Gaffie du Toit.
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
