THE audition for the Springbok flyhalf starting berth will continue this weekend when Pat Lambie makes his first start in the No10 jersey since last November when the Boks take on England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Coach Heyneke Meyer shuffled his cards by making five changes to the starting team that lost 29-15 against Ireland last week, but retained the same 23-man squad.
Lambie, 24, started at fly-half the last time the Boks and England met at Twickenham in 2012 and was a match winner on the day.
He landed four out of five kicks at goal for an 11-point haul as the Boks won 16-15.
Lambie replaces 20-year-old Handré Pollard in the starting lineup and will partner Sharks teammate Cobus Reinach at halfback.
Reinach, 24, will make his run on debut in place of Francois Hougaard, who is relegated to the bench alongside Bismarck du Plessis, Teboho Mohoje and Cornal Hendricks.
Adriaan Strauss, Schalk Burger and JP Pietersen have replaced that trio.
“I never make a lot of changes after we lose, so it’s not to say the five players left out are the scapegoats,” Meyer said. “I like the same players to fix things and that’s why I’ve kept the same 23.
“They have to go and improve on the previous performance. But even before this game the players knew who was going to start.
“A guy like Bismarck du Plessis played brilliantly in the previous match. The set piece was better than it’s ever been, but I felt beforehand that he would get two starts and Adriaan would get two starts.
“The same with the other players such as Schalk Burger and JP Pietersen, who won’t be available for the final game against Wales.”
All eyes will be on the halfbacks, though. Hougaard struggled against Ireland and as a consequence Pollard also couldn’t get into the game.
Lambie, if he can produce another sparkling display, could edge ahead in the fly-half race.
“Handré is only 20 and he will continue to get chances,” Meyer said.
“Patrick is more experienced and he has played at Twickenham before. Also, starting with Cobus and with Jan at centre who is only 21, we felt we needed a little more experience at flyhalf. If Pat didn’t play would have been a 9, 10, 12 axis with too little experience.
“So Pat and JP add to our experience in the starting XV. Handré will be a star, but we have to manage him well. In a one- on-one I told Handré he hasn’t been dropped but that the plan was always for Pat to start this match.
“Morné Steyn will still play a role. I know what he can do.”
Meyer also said that World Cup places were on the line.
“Players are playing for their Test careers every single time they run out for the Springboks,” he said.
“There are only 31 guys going to the World Cup and we have an unbelievable depth in the country, so they have to perform.
“There are also only three games remaining in the conditions that will emulate the World Cup. The Rugby Championship is a different competition in terms of the conditions and style of play, so these games are vital.”
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Teboho Mohoje, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
New plan for Springboks
Coach Heyneke Meyer shuffled his cards by making five changes to the starting team that lost 29-15 against Ireland last week, but retained the same 23-man squad.
Lambie, 24, started at fly-half the last time the Boks and England met at Twickenham in 2012 and was a match winner on the day.
He landed four out of five kicks at goal for an 11-point haul as the Boks won 16-15.
Lambie replaces 20-year-old Handré Pollard in the starting lineup and will partner Sharks teammate Cobus Reinach at halfback.
Reinach, 24, will make his run on debut in place of Francois Hougaard, who is relegated to the bench alongside Bismarck du Plessis, Teboho Mohoje and Cornal Hendricks.
Adriaan Strauss, Schalk Burger and JP Pietersen have replaced that trio.
“I never make a lot of changes after we lose, so it’s not to say the five players left out are the scapegoats,” Meyer said. “I like the same players to fix things and that’s why I’ve kept the same 23.
“They have to go and improve on the previous performance. But even before this game the players knew who was going to start.
“A guy like Bismarck du Plessis played brilliantly in the previous match. The set piece was better than it’s ever been, but I felt beforehand that he would get two starts and Adriaan would get two starts.
“The same with the other players such as Schalk Burger and JP Pietersen, who won’t be available for the final game against Wales.”
All eyes will be on the halfbacks, though. Hougaard struggled against Ireland and as a consequence Pollard also couldn’t get into the game.
Lambie, if he can produce another sparkling display, could edge ahead in the fly-half race.
“Handré is only 20 and he will continue to get chances,” Meyer said.
“Patrick is more experienced and he has played at Twickenham before. Also, starting with Cobus and with Jan at centre who is only 21, we felt we needed a little more experience at flyhalf. If Pat didn’t play would have been a 9, 10, 12 axis with too little experience.
“So Pat and JP add to our experience in the starting XV. Handré will be a star, but we have to manage him well. In a one- on-one I told Handré he hasn’t been dropped but that the plan was always for Pat to start this match.
“Morné Steyn will still play a role. I know what he can do.”
Meyer also said that World Cup places were on the line.
“Players are playing for their Test careers every single time they run out for the Springboks,” he said.
“There are only 31 guys going to the World Cup and we have an unbelievable depth in the country, so they have to perform.
“There are also only three games remaining in the conditions that will emulate the World Cup. The Rugby Championship is a different competition in terms of the conditions and style of play, so these games are vital.”
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Bakkies Botha, 20 Teboho Mohoje, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
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