SOUTH AFRICA: SPRINGBOK SECONDROW Victor Matfield has recovered from a hamstring injury and will captain South Africa in their final Pool D clash against Samoa on Friday, coach Peter de Villiers said yesterday.
Matfield comes back into the side after a two-match absence and replaces his usual secondrow partner Bakkies Botha, who picked up an injury in the 87-0 win over Namibia last Thursday.
Captain John Smit drops to the bench allowing hooker Bismark du Plessis to make his first start of the tournament alongside returning prop Tendai Mtawarira.
South Africa lead Pool D after winning all three of their matches and need one point from the game to earn a quarter-final berth.
SOUTH AFRICA (v Samoa, Friday): Pat Lambie; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Frans Steyn, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Victor Matfield (captain), Heinrich Brussow, Schalk Burger, Pierre Spies. Replacements: John Smit, Gurthro Steenkamp, CJ van der Linde, Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Francois Hougaard, Jean de Villiers.
ARGENTINA:FLANKER Juan Fernández Lobbe has been ruled out of the World Cup with a torn cruciate ligament. Argentina's vice-captain suffered the knee injury during the Puma's 13-12 win over Scotland on Sunday. The injury requires surgery, and Fernández Lobbe now faces up to six months on the sidelines.
AUSTRALIA: Australia openside flanker David Pocock has declared himself available for the Wallabies for their final World Cup Pool C match against Russia on Saturday after missing the previous two games with a stiff back.
Pocock was missed in the 15-6 loss to Ireland at Eden Park as the Irish loose forwards dominated the breakdown and put immense pressure on Australian scrumhalves Will Genia and Quade Cooper.
“My lower back went very tight and started spasming and they just couldn’t get it to release, so on the Friday I saw the physio seven or eight times,” Pocock said yesterday of his injury that forced him out on the day of the match against Ireland. He said: “I was very disappointed. It is never ideal to pull out so late as it compromises the team’s preparation and then to lose the game obviously adds to it, so it’s been a frustrating two weeks and I am just glad to be back training.”
