Boks looking for ball carrier
The Springboks face a World XV this Saturday before they get the Rugby Championships underway against Australia next weekend.
Meyer has to deal with the aftermath of a taxing Super Rugby season which has seen a number of his first choice players laid low by injury. While South Africa has always been blessed with impressive depth in the loose forward department, Meyer is thinking long and hard about who will step up to replace the physicality lost by the unavailable Vermeulen and Alberts.
Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee will start at openside and blindside flank respectively this weekend, while outstanding Lions captain Warren Whiteley has been rewarded for his Super Rugby form with a starting berth at eighthman.
The loose-trio is impressive, but Meyer still believes the Boks may lack an out-and-out ball carrier this weekend.
“I truly believe with the three of them the work-rate will go up and Schalk Burger is there as well. So what you lose you gain in other areas but it’s up to the players to show what they can do in the next three games as well,” Meyer said this week.
“Oupa Mohoje can also play there, he is coming back from injury so I still think we’re fine. But we have already been looking at other big ball carriers as well. Losing Duane and Willem, you need a big ball carrier in your pack.”
Meyer is already looking at a couple of players who enjoyed productive Super Rugby seasons. The likes of Jacques Potgieter, Pierre Spies and Arno Botha are on Meyer’s radar.
“We keep on looking at guys and we know what we want. We looked at a guy like Jacques, he is a great ball carrier and has done well. Pierre can fulfil that role; he has always played well for the Boks especially with all the guys injured we are looking at him,” Meyer said.
“I believe Arno is unbelievable – unfortunately he has been injured for two years but he can fulfil that role.”
Meanwhile the World XV named their side to face the Boks today.
Former Springbok lock Bakkies Botha will captain the side, while former Cell C Sharks hooker Craig Burden starts in the front row alongside former Springbok prop Gurthro Steenkamp. Bulls and Springbok centre JJ Engelbrecht will wear the number 13 jumper for the World XV as well.
The Springboks face the World XV on Saturday. Kick-off is at 17h05.
Springboks:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Marcell Coetzee, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Oupa Mohoje, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jean de Villiers
World XV:
15 Delon Armitage, 14 Lachlan Turner, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 David Smith, 10 Mike Harris, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Jordan Taufua, 5 Bakkies Botha (captain), 4 Ali Williams, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp
Substitutes: 16 David Roumieu, 17 Alexandre Menini, 18 Petrus du Plessis, 19 Flip Van der Merwe, 20 Louis-Benoit Madaule, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Andrew Horrell, 23 Rudi Wulf