SOUTH AFRICA coach Heyneke Meyer named three debutants yesterday in his starting XV for the first Test against England in Durban on Saturday.
Locks Juandre Kruger (26) and Eben Etzebeth (20) and flanker Marcell Coetzee (21) will make their first Test appearances, while replacement prop Coenie Oosthuizen is also in line for his first Test cap.
Despite the newcomers, the Springbok team chosen to play England boasts a combined 458 caps. Nine players are retained from South Africa’s last match, a World Cup quarter-final defeat to Australia last year.
Kruger and Etzebeth have the huge task of replacing former captain Victor Matfield and his secondrow partner Bakkies Botha but Meyer said he was confident they would rise to the challenge.
“It’s quite a new thing for South Africa to have two uncapped locks starting. It will be a huge step up for them and they need to prove that they can play at this level,” said Meyer.
“Marcell Coetzee has played great rugby the whole year and I believe he will be a superstar in years to come. They have all proved themselves in Super Rugby and I am confident that all three will acquit themselves well.”
Argentina have included experienced duo Felipe Contepomi and Rodrigo Roncero in a largely experimental line-up to face Italy in San Juan on Saturday, the first of three June Tests for the Pumas.
The veteran pair were part of the Argentina side that finished third at the 2007 World Cup but are close to international retirement. Centre Contepomi will captain a second-string side in the three Tests, with Argentina also hosting France the following two Saturdays.
ARGENTINA (v Italy, Saturday): J Tuculet; B Agulla, G Ascarate, F Contepomi (capt), A Gosio; I Mieres, M Landajo; R Roncero, E Guinazu, F Kodela, E Lozada, J Cabello, G Fessia, T Leonardi, L Senatore. Replacements: B Postiglioni, N Tetaz Chaparro, B Macome, T de la vega, T Cubelli, M Montero, R Miralles.
SOUTH AFRICA (v England, Saturday): Z Kirchner; J P Pietersen, J de Villiers (capt), F Steyn, B Habana; M Steyn, F Hougaard; T Mtawarira, B du Plessis, J du Plessis, E Etzebeth, J Kruger, M Coetzee, W Alberts, P Spies. Replacements: A Strauss, C Oosthuizen, F van der Merwe, K Daniel, R Pienaar, P Lambie, W Olivier.
SCHMIDT NAMED MAY MANAGER OF MONTH
JOE SCHMIDT, head coach of Leinster, has been named Philips manager of the month for May. This is the second time in two years the monthly award has gone to Schmidt.
Leinster defeated Ulster 42-14 to claim their third Heineken Cup trophy in four years. It was the first all-Irish encounter in a final, and the biggest-ever winning margin of 28 points. Leinster also became only the second team to successfully defend the title, and the first in 10 years.
