South Africa: Francois Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (captain), Gurthro Steenkamp.

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, CJ van der Linde, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Butch James, Juan de Jongh.

Australia: Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Salesi Ma’afu, Saia Faingaa, Benn Robinson.

Reserves: Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Ben McCalman, Scott Higginbotham, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Anthony Faingaa.

Francois Steyn will replace Gio Aplon who drops out of the squad altogether and Jaque Fourie returns after suspension to take over from Juan de Jongh at outside centre. De Jongh moves to the bench.

Those are the only changes to the starting line-up of the side that lost to the All Blacks at FNB Stadium last weekend.

On the bench Wynand Olivier makes way for De Jongh while Ryan Kankowski has been brought in as a replacement to add more pace to the pack. He replaces Francois Louw who is also no longer in the match-22.

Springbok team: Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp.

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The Springboks are taking their referee woes to an official level with the South African Union asking SANZAR to look into what they clearly feel is a bias against the Boks by the judicial system.

The two match ban on Jean de Villiers for a dangerous tackle on top of Bakkies Botha’s nine-week ban for head-butting has raised the anger of the South Africans after a tough two weeks in New Zealand where they lost both Tri-Nations Tests to the All Blacks.

South African Rugby Union boss Oregan Hoskins has instructed the Springboks’ representative on the SANZAR legal committee, Judge Lex Mpati, to look into the matter.

“On the judicial side, I have asked Judge Mpati to take it up,” Hoskins told the Cape Times newspaper.

“A number of stakeholders have complained to me about the lack of consistency in the rulings of the judicial officials in rugby.

“I have stressed to Judge Mpati the seriousness of the matter, and he has promised that he will come back to me in writing hopefully by next week.

“I don’t want to say too much further, as previously I have spoken about the issue in the media and nothing has been done about it.”

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The Springboks made 9 changes to the starting lineup that will face Australia in a Vodacom Tri-Nations Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday.

There are four changes in the run-on XV and a further five on the reserves bench.

Amongst the backs, Gio Aplon, who was on the bench in Wellington, starts in place of the suspended Jean de Villiers on the right wing and Ruan Pienaar is promoted to the starting line-up in place of Ricky Januarie at scrumhalf.

Up front, BJ Botha starts ahead of CJ van der Linde at tighthead prop, whilst Ryan Kankowski is preferred to Francois Louw at flank.

Van der Linde, who was cleared to play on Tuesday morning after receiving a knock to the shoulder last week, moves to the bench. Further changes here include lock Flip van der Merwe in place of the injured Andries Bekker, Dewald Potgieter as cover for loose forward, Francois Hougaard in place of Pienaar and Juan de Jongh replacing the promoted Aplon.

Januarie and Louw fall out of the match 22.

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Former Australia rugby hooker Brendan Cannon accidentally reversed a car over his baby son in the family driveway, leaving the toddler in critical condition, reports said on Sunday.

The Sunday Telegraph said Cannon’s 15-month-old boy, Samuel, was on life support with two broken legs and internal injuries after being run over by the four-wheel drive.

“It’s one of those worst-case scenarios,” Cannon was quoted as saying.

“We’ve got a very narrow driveway and you need to be focusing on clearing the gate. I was reversing out, concentrating on the right side of the gate to get out, and I’ve accidentally run over the little guy.”

The incident mirrors a similar event involving another former Australia hooker, Phil Kearns, whose baby daughter Andie was also run over at the family home but made a full recovery.

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There is little doubt that Burke is one of the most successful and respected international fullbacks of recent times, notching up the second highest all time points tally for an Australian Test player.

For the Waratahs he is the highest ever points scorer and the second highest capped player, with his illustrious Sydney career spanning from 1992 to 2004.

Check out this 80m try in 1996…

Source: rugbydump.co.za

The Springboks could not seal the deal and win the Tri-Nations on Saturday against the Wallabies at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Boks lost 21 – 6.

Although the Boks might have quibbles over the refereeing of Englishman Wayne Barnes they cannot argue that they were well beaten by a quicker, fitter more focussed Wallaby side.

After a week in which they were lambasted by their media George Smith’s re-jigged combination turned up determined to match the Springboks’ physicality and succeeded admirably as they scored the only two tries of the match and kept the Sprinboks scoreless in the second half.

All the changes made by Robbie Deans — especially Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker, David Pocock on the flank and Berrick Barnes at inside centre — worked a treat as the Wallabies gave their Kiwi coach, who celebrated his 50th birthday on Friday, the perfect present.

For the Springboks it was a case of the chickens coming home to roost as the pessimists, who had cautioned against the unrestrained acclaim being heaped on John Smith’s team, received plenty of justification.

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The Springboks had to make two changes due to injury to their match 22 to face the Wallabies in their Tri-Nations encounter at the Suncorpe Stadium in Brisbane this Saturday.

Coach Peter de Villiers announced today that Sharks wing Odwa Ndungane will take the place of his provincial team mate JP Pietersen in the starting line-up, whilst Vodacom Blue Bulls lock Danie Rossouw makes a return to the bench in the place of Vodacom Western Province’s Andries Bekker.

Both Pietersen (hamstring) and Bekker (shoulder) have returned to South Africa after sustaining injuries in the 32-25 win at the Subiaco Oval in Perth last week.

De Villiers also confirmed that concerns over minor ailments to Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana had eased and that both players would be ready to fill their places on Saturday. Botha was rested from practice on Tuesday but Habana took part in the session.

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Springbok captain John Smit praised his team for a “job well done” after their 32-25 victory over the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday, which strengthened their grip on the 2009 Tri-Nations trophy.

Outscoring the Australians by four tries to three, despite having been branded as boring by their Australasian rivals in recent weeks, South Africa have taken a near unassailable lead in the competition.

With two more games – against the Aussies in Brisbane next week and New Zealand in Hamilton a week later, two more points will give the Boks their third Tri-Nations title.

But it was the clinical manner in which the Boks dismantled the Wallabies in the first half in Perth, taking a 23-6 lead at the break, that really impressed.

And becoming the first team this year to score a four-try bonus point also sent a strong message to their rivals.

The Bok captain, Smit, said his team got the result they wanted – five points on the standings from the game.

“We shortened our week [arriving in Perth in two shifts, on Monday and Tuesday] and we were fresh. We saw the energy in the first 50 [minutes],” Smit said in his post-match reaction.

He admitted that the Boks got into a bit of a “defensive mode” in the last 30.

“The one thing about the Aussies, they just keep coming for the 80 minutes, no matter what,” the Bok skipper added.

Asked about being the first team this year to score four tries in a Tri-Nations game, Smit said it was all part of the plan.

“We said all along that we will do whatever we need to win and tonight was a bit of running and a few tries and it did the job,” the Bok captain said.

He admitted that they were happy with their defensive effort, for most part, despite conceding two late tries – in the 75th and 79th minutes – to give the Aussies a bonus point.

“We spoke about it [defence] at half-time, about getting another half-a-metre, just getting on the referee’s good side.

“There was a lot of penetration coming and we just needed to stay organised,” he said.

He admitted that Bryan Habana’s 52nd minute try was the killer blow.

“Half-time [leading 23-6] there was big talk about putting just one more nail in just after the break and the boys listened for a change,” Smit added.

(via: Rugby 365)

The Springbok coach Peter de Villiers have named two changes to the Springbok team to face the Wallabies this Saturday in Perth in the Nelson Mandela Trophy / Tri-Nations encounter.

As expected Pienaar moves from the bench, where he started the previous Test against Australia at Newlands on August 8, to fullback in the place of Frans Steyn, who is amongst the replacements.

The other change sees Schalk Burger returning to the bench in the place of Danie Rossouw, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez will earn his 50th Test cap for South Africa on Saturday.

The decision to bring Pienaar into the side at the expense of Steyn in the No.15 jersey will be questioned by some and applauded by others.

The 24-year-old Pienaar has only started at fullback for the Boks twice before – against Tonga at the 2007 World Cup and Wales on the year-end tour in 2007.

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