Record nine black Boks in SA squad

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa named a record nine black players in a 22-man squad for the second Mandela Challenge test against Australia on Saturday and a record six black players will start the game.

Coach Jake White made eight changes and one positional switch to the team that lost 30-12 to Australia in Sydney on July 9. “Today’s team announcement is special for me because when I took the job 18 months ago I said there were black players good enough to play for South Africa,” White said.”It is about creating opportunities for players and to be able to pick nine black players in a test against Australia shows that we are creating those opportunities.”But next week I might only have four or five black players in the squad so I don’t like to talk about these records.”These guys are all Springboks and have been selected to do a job against Australia this weekend.”Right wing Breyton Paulse makes his first appearance of the season and outside centre Jaque Fourie also earns a first start of the year.Jean de Villiers shifts from the wing to inside centre where he has made one appearance.Flyhalf André Pretorius will take the field in a test for the first time since 2003 against Australia in Brisbane.Number eight Joe van Niekerk also earns a first start of the year after a series of niggling injuries and loss of form.Open side flank Solly Tyibilika replaces Schalk Burger while Juan Smith at blindside flank comes in for Danie Rossouw.Both props have been changed with Gurthro Steenkamp playing loosehead and Eddie Andrews at tighthead.White said the sweeping changes were not a sign of panic after the heavy defeat in Australia.”We always said that we would make changes after Sydney regardless of the result and while we were not happy with the way we performed there, this is not a knee jerk reaction to that result,” White said.Meanwhile, Former South Africa and Australia loose forward Tiaan Strauss believes the Springboks were “soft” in their 30-12 defeat by the Wallabies in the first of two Nelson Mandela Challenge tests on July 9.As the teams prepare to meet again in Johannesburg on Saturday in the final match Strauss said: “The main thing was their defence was so soft, I mean really soft.”They’ve been known as a very good defensive team, and I thought they’d really bustle them in defence so I was very surprised,” he told Tuesday’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.Strauss, who played 15 times for the Springboks from 1992-94, emigrated to Australia in the mid-1990s and won 11 caps for the Wallabies, becoming part of their 1999 World Cup-winning squad.Strauss said he expected an improved performance from the South Africans on Saturday, however.”I think they will be a lot more aggressive in their defence, and I think they’ll try and rattle the Wallabies with it,” he added.”They have to move off their line and tackle the (Wallabies) behind the advantage line.”They waited for them last week, and you can’t wait for guys like (Lote) Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor, you can’t let those blokes run at you.South African Squad:15 – Percy Montgomery; 14 – Breyton Paulse, 13 – Jacque Fourie, 12 – Jean de Villiers, 11 – Bryan Habana; 10 – Andre Pretorius, 9 – Ricky Januarie; 8 – Joe van Niekerk, 7 – Juan Smith, 6 – Solly Tyibilika, 5 – Victor Matfield, 4 -Bakkies Botha, 3 – Eddie Andrews, 2 – John Smit (capt), 1 – Gurthro Steenkamp.Reserves:16 – Hanyani Shimange, 17 – Lawrence Sephaka, 18 -Albert van den Berg, 19 – Schalk Burger, 20 – Fourie du Preez, 21 -Jaco van der Westhuyen, 22 – Wayne Julies.-Nampa-Reuters”Today’s team announcement is special for me because when I took the job 18 months ago I said there were black players good enough to play for South Africa,” White said.”It is about creating opportunities for players and to be able to pick nine black players in a test against Australia shows that we are creating those opportunities.”But next week I might only have four or five black players in the squad so I don’t like to talk about these records.”These guys are all Springboks and have been selected to do a job against Australia this weekend.”Right wing Breyton Paulse makes his first appearance of the season and outside centre Jaque Fourie also earns a first start of the year.Jean de Villiers shifts from the wing to inside centre where he has made one appearance.Flyhalf André Pretorius will take the field in a test for the first time since 2003 against Australia in Brisbane.Number eight Joe van Niekerk also earns a first start of the year after a series of niggling injuries and loss of form.Open side flank Solly Tyibilika replaces Schalk Burger while Juan Smith at blindside flank comes in for Danie Rossouw.Both props have been changed with Gurthro Steenkamp playing loosehead and Eddie Andrews at tighthead.White said the sweeping changes were not a sign of panic after the heavy defeat in Australia.”We always said that we would make changes after Sydney regardless of the result and while we were not happy with the way we performed there, this is not a knee jerk reaction to that result,” White said.Meanwhile, Former South Africa and Australia loose forward Tiaan Strauss believes the Springboks were “soft” in their 30-12 defeat by the Wallabies in the first of two Nelson Mandela Challenge tests on July 9.As the teams prepare to meet again in Johannesburg on Saturday in the final match Strauss said: “The main thing was their defence was so soft, I mean really soft.”They’ve been known as a very good defensive team, and I thought they’d really bustle them in defence so I was very surprised,” he told Tuesday’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.Strauss, who played 15 times for the Springboks from 1992-94, emigrated to Australia in the mid-1990s and won 11 caps for the Wallabies, becoming part of their 1999 World Cup-winning squad.Strauss said he expected an improved performance from the South Africans on Saturday, however.”I think they will be a lot more aggressive in their defence, and I think they’ll try and rattle the Wallabies with it,” he added.”They have to move off their line and tackle the (Wallabies) behind the advantage line.”They waited for them last week, and you can’t wait for guys like (Lote) Tuqiri and Wendell Sailor, you can’t let those blokes run at you.South African Squad: 15 – Percy Montgomery; 14 – Breyton Paulse, 13 – Jacque Fourie, 12 – Jean de Villiers, 11 – Bryan Habana; 10 – Andre Pretorius, 9 – Ricky Januarie; 8 – Joe van Niekerk, 7 – Juan Smith, 6 – Solly Tyibilika, 5 – Victor Matfield, 4 -Bakkies Botha, 3 – Eddie Andrews, 2 – John Smit (capt), 1 – Gurthro Steenkamp.Reserves: 16 – Hanyani Shimange, 17 – Lawrence Sephaka, 18 -Albert van den Berg, 19 – Schalk Burger, 20 – Fourie du Preez, 21 -Jaco van der Westhuyen, 22 – Wayne Julies.-Nampa-Reuters