SOUTH AFRICA COACH Heyneke Meyer has made just two changes to his side to face USA on Wednesday (16.45), despite the short four-day turnaround.
The match will be USA’s first in 10 days, but their head coach Mike Tolkin has kept one eye on their final Pool fixture against Japan on Sunday night by ringing the changes for a midweek meeting with the ‘Boks.
Corkman John Quill is one of the beneficiaries of the squad rotation as he is one of the 12 changes made from the loss to Scotland.
The former Dolphin man came off the bench against Scotland, but gets his first Rugby World Cup start as an openside in a back row containing captain Samu Manoa and Danny Barrett.
Ireland’s other main export to American rugby Aj MacGinty has been left out of the matchday 23.
Having wrestled control of Pool B back after the shocking opening weekend defeat to Japan, South Africa are taking no chances of further embarrassment.
The introduction of Frans Malherbe at tighthead and Lwazi Mvovo on the wing are the only deviations from what Meyer now considers his strongest XV and the ‘Boks will surely be intent on finishing the pool on a high 10 days before they face either Australia or Wales at the quarter-final stage.
South Africa
15. Willie Le Roux
14. Bryan Habana
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Damian De Allende
11. Lwazi Mvovo
10. Handre Pollard
9. Fourie Du Preez (capt)
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Lodewyk De Jager
6. Francois Louw
7. Schalk Burger
8. Duane Vermeulen
Replacements:
16. Schalk Brits
17. Trevor Nyakane
18. Coenie Oosthuizen
19. Pieter-Steph Du Toit
20. Willem Alberts
21. Rudy Paige
22. Morne Steyn
23. Jan Serfontein
USA
15 Blaine Scully
14 Brett Thompson
13 Folau Niua
12 Andrew Suniula
11 Zach Test
10 Shalom Suniula
9 Niku Kruger
1 Oli Kilifi
2 Phil Thiel
3 Chris Baumann
4 Louis Stanfill
5 Matthew Trouville
6 Danny Barrett
7 John Quill
8 Samu Manoa (capt)
Replacements
16 Joe Taufetee
17 Zach Fenoglio
18 Mate Moeakiola
19 Titi Lamositele
20 Cam Dolan
21 Al McFarland
22 Mike Petri
23 Chris Wyles