Heyneke Meyer resists knee-jerk reactions for squad to play Samoa

South Africa

LONDON – Under-fire Springbok Coach Heyneke Meyer has made 10 changes to his squad to play Samoa at Villa Park in Birmingham on Saturday.

After a monumental upset against Japan in Brighton last weekend, Heyneke Meyer has unveiled his big guns with Tendai Mtawarira and Adriaan Strauss facing up in the front row after making an impact against Japan on the weekend. Eben Etzebeth, Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen will also take their places in the back five with the latter making his first starting appearance at no.8 of the year.

Fourie du Preez and Handre Pollard form a new halves partnership with Damian de Allende, JP Pietersen and Willie le Roux returning to the lineup.

Meyer will expect a strong response from his side who were embarrassingly out-muscled and outpaced by a very well drilled Japanese side. And after coming under intense criticism for his side, Meyer neglected to make any knee-jerk reactions.

South Africa team to play Samoa

1 Tendai Mtawarira
2 Adriaan Strauss
3 Jannie du Plessis
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Victor Matfield
6 Francois Louw
7 Schalk Burger
8 Duane Vermeulen
9 Fourie du Preez
10 Handre Pollard
11 Bryan Habana
12 Damian de Allende
13 Jean de Villiers (c)
14 JP Pietersen
15 Willie le Roux

Replacements

16 Schalk Brits 17 Trevor Nyakane 18 Frans Malherbe 19 Lood de Jager 20 Siya Kolisi 21 Ruan Pienaar 22 Pat Lambie 23 Jesse Kriel


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