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South Africa’s RG Snyman scores a try against England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. James Crombie/INPHO

Snyman starts as Erasmus makes 12 changes; England recall back-line duo

Erasmus opts for a more conventional 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench, having deployed his celebrated ‘Bomb Squad’ at Murrayfield.

WORLD CHAMPIONS SOUTH Africa have made a mammoth 12 changes to their starting side for Saturday’s match against England at Twickenham.

Only lock Eben Etzebeth, hooker Bongi Mbonambi, and prop Ox Nche have retained their places in the side that kicked off last Sunday’s 32-15 win over Scotland, with Etzebeth playing the whole 80 minutes at Murrayfield.

Siya Kolisi returns to captain the team having come off the bench in Edinburgh, while Leinster’s RG Snyman starts in the second row.

South Africa’s matchday 23 includes a whole new backline and eight personnel changes in total as Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus tries to minimise the effects of just a six-day preparation week.

Erasmus opts for a more conventional 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench, having deployed his celebrated  ’Bomb Squad’ featuring seven forwards among the replacements at Murrayfield.

“The turnaround between the Scotland and England Tests is short, so we had to be smart in our selection to enable us to field a fresh squad with only six days between two tough Test matches,” said Erasmus after announcing his team.

“It obviously has a knock-on in effect in the sense that we’ve made 12 changes to the starting lineup, but we have been rotating our squad all season.” 

England have recalled Freddie Steward at full-back and selected scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet as they look to revive their November campaign.

George Furbank has been omitted from the matchday 23 completely in a move that paves the way for Steward’s return at No. 15, while scrum-half Ben Spencer has also been dropped, with Van Poortvliet set to make his first Test appearance for more than a year.

Furbank and Spencer both started against New Zealand and Australia in England’s opening two November internationals, which ended in agonising late defeats.

Those reverses have increased the pressure on coach Steve Borthwick, with England now on a run of four straight losses.

Borthwick has made two other, injury-enforced, personnel changes to his starting 15 after wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and flanker Tom Curry were ruled out because of concussions suffered during a 42-37 defeat by the Wallabies.

Ollie Sleightholme, who came off the bench to score two tries against Australia, is given his first start on the left wing, with Sam Underhill chosen at openside flanker.

This will be the first time South Africa have played England since they edged Borthwick’s men 16-15 in a dramatic World Cup semi-final in France last year.

England: Freddie Steward; Tommy Freeman, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Ollie Sleightholme; Marcus Smith, Jack van Poortvliet; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (capt), Will Stuart; Maro Itoje, George Martin; Chandler Cunningham-South, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl. 

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, George Ford, Tom Roebuck.

South Africa: Aphelele Fassi; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Grant Williams; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Wilco Louw; Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman; Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Handre Pollard, Lukhanyo Am.

 

– © AFP 2024

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