South Africa v Portugal - Teams and Prediction
PREVIEW: History is on the cards when the Springboks host Portugal in a one-off Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Not only is it the first time that these two nations meet, but the Springboks have a new captain in Salmaan Moerat.
It will also be the first time a female referee, Holly Davidson, will officiate a Springbok Test match.
Moerat will lead a squad featuring seven uncapped players - former Junior Springbok captain Phepsi Buthelezi (flank), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Jan-Hendrik Wessels (prop), while Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Ruan Venter (loose forward), Morné van den Berg (scrumhalf) and Quan Horn (fullback) could be in line to make their Test debuts from the replacements’ bench.
The 26-year-old Moerat becomes the 66th Springbok captain - and the third in four Tests this year.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said he had no doubt that Moerat was the right candidate for the captaincy.
“Salmaan commands respect from his teammates, so we’d like to congratulate him on this achievement, and we have no doubt that he’ll take on this responsibility as well as he has for the other teams he has led,” the coach said.
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There is no denying the fact that Erasmus is testing his depth against the Wolves but the outfit still boasts eight World Cup-winning Boks in the starting XV while the 67-cap Trevor Nyakane will enter proceedings from the bench.
This is the opportunity for youngsters like Moerat, Fassi, Dixon, Buthelezi, Grobbelaar, and Wessels to make their mark and impress as the Springboks start their build-up to World Cup 2027.
Buthelezi says he has really leaned on players like Siya Kolisi and Kwagga Smith to help him in his preparation for the Test.
“Those guys have really helped me. I’ve had the privilege of being with the team for the past couple of weeks now and I’ve learned a lot from them.
“I’ve also realised that even though Siya is the captain, there are many leaders within the group and everyone is always helping, and that is something I have learned and I want to try and implement going forward,” Buthelezi said.
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Another point Erasmus hammered on throughout the week was not to underestimate Portugal, a team that has grown with leaps and bounds over the past few years and of course especially that sensational win over Fiji at the World Cup.
This Test was always an opportunity to celebrate rugby more than anything else as a Tier Two nation was offered a fixture against the top dog in the world.
Shock factor
Os Lobos has steadily improved their world rankings from 27 at the start of 2019 to their present ranking of 15.
They were the darlings of the World Cup thanks to their daring, attacking brand of rugby and they were the second favourite team of most fans given their underdog status and the fact that they were particularly enjoyable to watch.
Their inspirational captain Tomas Appleton, cleared to play after missing two training sessions earlier in the week due to a shoulder injury he picked up in their 37-22 victory over Namibia last weekend, is all too aware of the massive challenge ahead.
"It’s massive, playing against double World Champions," Appleton said.
"It’s so big for us as a developing union. For some of us players, we are playing against guys that we are used to seeing on the television.
"They are the guys that influence our game style and the way we want to play.
"You don’t want to put them on a pedestal, as we are conscious that we want to show the world that we are taking this very seriously.
"And we want to shock the world every time we step onto the pitch," the captain concluded.
The Os Lobos are known as a team that likes to spread the ball wide and use their elusive runners to strike from anywhere on the field.
However, the game, as against Ireland, will be won or lost in the set-pieces, an area the Portuguese will no doubt target as Erasmus selected two Test rookie hookers and a loosehead for this match.
But when comparing apples with apples, and with respect to the visitors, this might be one too far for the Os Lobos.
Players to watch:
For South Africa: Moerat’s ability to lead will be tested, as well as his performance in the line-outs. Fassi has had a sterling season and will be ready to showcase his full scope of skills, in tandem with the more experienced Arendse and Mapimpi in the back. LIbbok has not had the best of times in a Bok jersey and has been brutally criticized by the fans. It is time to show he can step out of Handre Pollard’s shadow. The two rookies up front, Grobbelaar and Wessels, will also be under the spotlight to show their selections are merited.
For Portugal: Loosehead Francisco Fernandes will square up with Thomas du Toit, one of the more experienced players in the Bok team. The powerful prop stood out for Os Lobos during the World Cup and he also has experience on his side. The back three will be packed with star power with Simão Bento, Manuel Cardoso Pinto, and Rodrigo Marta all ready to be unleashed. Appleton is a captain who leads by example and relishes small gaps to slither through.
Prediction
@rugby365com: South Africa by 40 points
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Ruan Venter, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn.
Portugal: 15 Simao Bento, 14 Manuel Cardoso Pinto, 13 Jose Lima, 12 Tomas Appleton, 11 Rodrigo Marta, 10 Joris Moura, 9 Hugo Camacho, 8 Vasco Baptista, 7 Diego Pinheiro, 6 Jose Madeira, 5 Duarte Torgal, 4 Nicolas Fernandes, 3 Diogo Hasse Ferreira, 2 Luka Begic, 1 Francisco Fernandes.
Replacements: 16 David Costa, 17 Pedro Vicente, 18 Abel da Cunha, Antonio Rebelo Andrade, 20 Andre Cunha, 21 Pedro Lucas, 22 Domingos Cabral, 23 Jose Paiva dos Santos.
Date: Saturday, July 20
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 17.00 (16.00 Portugal time; 15.00 GMT)
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Craig Evans (Wales), Mike Adamson (Scotland)
TMO: Andrew McMenemy (Scotland)