SOUTH AFRICA V NEW
ZEALAND
New Zealand team starts
Sopoaga has been preferred to Beauden Barrett in the No 10 jersey. Though this
will be his first taste of international rugby he is partnered by Highlanders
team-mate Aaron Smith in the half-backs, which will help him settle into the
New Zealand team on Saturday.
The pair guided the Otago-based side to their maiden Super
Rugby title this season and will be looking to cement their places as the
first-choice pairing to defend New Zealand's trophy at the World Cup later in
the year.
Broadhurst slots into the second row where he partners last
year's Player of the Year Brodie Retallick.
While for South Africa Jean de Villiers still out and Victor Matfield
picking up an injury in last week's loss to Australia, Meyer has handed the
captaincy to No 8 Burger.
It will be Ruan Pienaar and Handre Pollard who take on the
new-look All Black half-backs, while South Africa’s young midfield combination
of Pollard, Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel this week earned high praise from
Steve Hansen, who referred to them as ‘the way forward’ for South Africa
the two sides have met 89 times since their first encounter
in 1921, with the All Blacks claiming 51 victories to the Springboks’ 35.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13
Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Ruan
Pienaar, 1 Tendai Mtawarira, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 4 Eben
Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Heinrich Brussow, 7 Francois Louw, 8 Schalk Burger
(c).
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18
Vincent Koch, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Warren Whiteley, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22
Pat Lambie, 23 Lionel Mapoe.
New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Conrad Smith,
12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Charles Piutau, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 1 Tony
Woodcock, 2 Dane Coles, 3 Owen Franks, 4 Brodie Retallick, 5 James Broadhurst,
6 Liam Messam, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 8 Kieran Read.
Replacements: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Ben
Franks, 19 Sam Whitelock, 20 Victor Vito, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett,
23 Malakai Fekitoa.
ARGENTINA V
The centre has to make do with being named amongst the
replacements for this weekend as Horacio Agulla – normally more at home on the
wing – starts in Argentina's midfield next to Juan Martin Hernandez.
Prop Ramiro Herrera is another player to drop down to the
bench, with Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro replacing him in the front row, while Rodrigo
Baez comes in for flanker Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, who returned to Toulon
last week for the birth of his second child.
"We've tried to balance the physical aspect without
altering the team structure too much," Hourcade said.
Lock Rob Simmons and No 8 Ben McCalman were both injured
against the Springboks – former skipper James Horwill and Scott Higginbotham
are their respective replacements in the pack.
Coach Ewen McKenzie has also opted for a 6-2 split on the
bench, with Rob Horne selected as the utility back ahead of Kurtley Beale, who
was allegedly involved in an in-flight row with a member of team management on
the journey to South America
Replacements: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Bruno Postiglioni, 18
Ramiro Herrera, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Javier Ortega Desio, 21 Tomás Cubelli,
22 Marcelo Bosch, 23 Jeronimo De la Fuente.
Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita
Kuridani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nick Phipps; 1
James Slipper, 2 Saia Faingaa, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Sam Carter, 5 James Horwill, 6
Scott Fardy, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 8 Scott Higginbotham.
Replacements: 16 Josh Mann-Rea, 17 Benn Robinson, 18 Ben
Alexander, 19 Will Skelton, 20 Jake Schatz, 21 Matt Hodgson, 22 Nic White, 23
Rob Horne.
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