Not a great deal should be read into the composition of the Springboks starting line-up for Sunday’s match against Japan, and no player is guaranteed a spot for the quarter-finals, including captain Jean de Villiers, coach Heyneke Meyer revealed at yesterday’s team announcement.
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“Obviously, in the unlikely event that there was an issue in Japan, it would make sense that the first people you would consult would be the other two contenders at the time, which were Italy and South Africa“.
The captain returned from a long-term knee injury last month, only to fracture his jaw against Argentina in Durban.
“We’ve studied Japan and it’s not going to be easy”. Crucially, the scrum-half was part of the 2007 World Cup-winning team which outweighs – in Meyer’s eyes – the fact the 33-year-old last played a competitive game in February for his Japanese club.
“The problem is in South Africa the whole package isn’t judged, it’s just a knee-jerk reaction about numbers”.
The fact that Vermeulen, who had neck surgery seven weeks ago to fuse two vertebrae, will be ready at all is astounding.
“We’ve scored a lot of tries when he’s the fullback”.
With an exciting blend of experience and youth, South Africa will field a gnarly old pack including Victor Matfield, the Du Plessis brothers and Schalk Burger alongside fresh faces such as Ebven Etzebeth.
“If you learn to have fun, it will fire you up and fired up is what we want to be when we take on South Africa“.
Regular fullback Willie le Roux was left out of the matchday squad, as was center Damian de Allende.
An experienced South African team come into the World Cup in stuttering form amid a row over race quotas, but still look sure to steamroller their way through Pool B.
“This is not a farewell for one oke or another; it’s a World Cup where we’re all fighting the same fight, working towards one goal, whether a guy is 20 years old or 38″. “Just to get back into the game after those setbacks – never mind what he has achieved since – speaks volumes about his character”. But we have a youngster called Jesse Kriel who is built in the same mould as Fourie with similar attributes – good defender, great finisher with all the speed and capability to read the game as well.
The Springboks will go on to play Scotland, Samoa and the United States, and hooker Bismarck du Plessis said the team was hoping to peak at the big event as Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt does.
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Coenie Oosthuizen, Fourie du Preez and JP Pietersen return from injury to take a place on the bench.
