Lood de Jager: SA Rugby
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made 11 changes to the team for the second Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
Lood de Jager will run out for his 50th cap, fellow lock Marvin Orie will earn his first Test start and the uncapped Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg has been named on the replacements bench.
There are six changes in the backline and five upfront from the team that beat Los Pumas 32-12 last week – with Nienaber bringing back a host of players who featured in the recent series win over the British & Irish Lions.
In total, the match-23 shows 17 changes and the only players who will start again this weekend are De Jager (lock), Siya Kolisi (captain and flank), Jasper Wiese (No 8), and Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf).
Orie, who has made all five of his Test appearances off the bench, as well as Malcolm Marx (hooker) and Trevor Nyakane (prop) have been promoted to the starting team, where Thomas du Toit (prop) will also start his first Test of the season.
Nienaber congratulated De Jager – SA Rugby’s Player of the Year in 2015 who made his Test debut a season earlier – on becoming the fourth player this season to earn a half century of Tests.
“Lood is a stalwart, and his work ethic is admirable, so we are excited to see him achieve this big feat,” said Nienaber.
“It takes special character to feature and perform consistently at international level and to play 50 Tests for the Springboks, and Lood is certainly deserving of this accolade.”
Springbok team to face Argentina at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 65 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 17 caps, 45 pts (9t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 18 caps, 20 pts (4t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 50 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 17 caps, 75 pts (15t)
10 – Handré Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 52 caps, 502 pts (6t, 80c, 100p, 4d)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 17 caps, 40pts (8t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 4 caps, 0 pts
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 43 caps, 5pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 55 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 49 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 5 caps, 0 pts
3 – Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 12 caps, 0 pts)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 38 caps, 30 pts (6t)
1 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 47 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 40 pts (8t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 51 caps, 5pts (1t)
18 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 42 caps, 5pts (1t)
19 – Nicolaas van Rensburg (Montpellier) – uncapped
20 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 11 caps, 5 pts (1t)
21 – Dan du Preez (Sale Sharks) – 5 caps, 0 pts
22 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) – 1 cap, 5 pts (1t)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 11 caps, 5pts (1t)
