Boks recall Marx, De Klerk for All Blacks
South Africa have recalled hooker Malcolm Marx and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk to the starting line-up for their Rugby Championship opener with New Zealand at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
A third change from the side that beat Wales 30-14 in Cape
Town last month sees rookie wing Kurt-Lee Arendse come in for
the injured Cheslin Kolbe, who is nursing a broken jaw.
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READ NOWMarx will earn his 50th cap, matching the feat of the man he
replaces in the starting side, Bongi Mbonambi, who reached that
mark last time out against the Welsh.
"He (Marx) is a true warrior and epitomises what we stand
for as the Springboks," coach Jacques Nienaber said in a media
release from South African Rugby.
"We are preparing for a challenging test which will be vital
in setting the tone for our Rugby Championship campaign this
year and that is our focus.
"The All Blacks are strong all around and they will come to
Nelspruit desperate to avenge their (2-1 home) series defeat
against Ireland and to prove that they remain one of the
powerhouses in world rugby, so we believe experience and
physicality will be vital in this Test."
Marx will have props Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe
either side of him, while there is an experienced lock pairing
of Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager.
Captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and No.8
Jasper Wiese make up the back row.
De Klerk will be alongside flyhalf Handre Pollard, with
Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am the centres, and a back three
of Arendse, Makazole Mapimpi and fullback Damian Willemse.
"They (New Zealand) will play a different style of rugby to
Wales, and we have been preparing for that, and like many of the
northern hemisphere teams their set pieces are strong and they
have fantastic skills in their backline so we'll have to be at
our best to register a win," Nienaber said.
The sides will also clash in a second Rugby Championship
encounter in Johannesburg on August 13.
South Africa: Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Willie le Roux.
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