Damian Willemse admitted that while switching to inside centre this week against the All Blacks in Wellington in second Test this Saturday is a different challenge for him, the Springbok utility back is as excited to be in the new look backline selected by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus.
Willemse, who will start in the No 12 jersey for South Africa the first time, will join forces with Canan Moodie in a hard-running midfield combination, pairing with Cheslin Kolbe, Ethan Hooker, and Aphelele Fassi in the back three, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach at halfback.
He said they have been working around the clock to nail down the detail required to enter the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match as well prepared as possible.
“I played inside centre a few years ago, and I’ve played in the position as a replacement for the Boks, so there are aspects that are new for me, but I’m excited about the opportunity to link up with Sacha and the other backline players,” said Willemse on Thursday.
“I think this is the first match that I will be playing with Sacha at flyhalf, but we’ve been working hard this week to align on how we play, and also with the other players from an attack and defence point of view, so we are ready for whatever the All Blacks throw at us.”
While the Springboks will be desperate to bounce back from their disappointing 24-17 defeat last weekend at Eden Park to stay in the running for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship title, as well as retain the Freedom Cup between the two rugby giants, the All Blacks will be equally psyched up after last week’s result and to make up for suffering four defeats in a row against the Boks before that match – a situation Willemse was wary of.
“We are expecting another physical game, which is what they always deliver,” said Willemse.
“There are close margins in Test rugby, and last week we had an opportunity to secure a draw, but we were unable to do so. So, we know this is going to be another epic encounter.
“Obviously, we can’t change what happened last week, but we had a thorough review of the match, and we’ve put it behind us. Our focus is now squarely on Saturday’s match-up, and hopefully we can play well and get the desired result. It’s going to be a physical and hard match, but for us it’s all about nailing our roles on the field.”
Springbok replacement hooker Marnus van der Merwe was equally excited about the game, which will mark his first against the All Blacks, and said: “This is the first time I’ll be facing them, and although there are nerves and excitement, my main objective is to go out there and do the best I can. They are the No.1 team in the world, so this is a massive occasion for all of us, and we are all determined to go out there and give everything.”
Erasmus names new-look backline
Erasmus said they are expecting another epic encounter against their arch rivals: “Both teams will be up for the challenge this week after having to cope with heavy rain at times in Auckland, and after the disappointing performance we delivered in the opening stages of that match, we know we need to be much more effective in all departments this week and produce a performance both us and our supporters can be proud of.
“We need a top-class performance to ensure that we are in contention to win the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
“We know where we went wrong last week and what we must fix, and we’ll leave no stone unturned to fix those errors. There’s no doubt that we have to deliver a proper 80-minute performance to do well, and we will give everything to achieve that.”
Springbok team to face the All Blacks in Wellington:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 14 caps, 35 points (7t)
14 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 43 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)
13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 40 pts (8t)
12 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 42 caps, 61 points (5t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)
11 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 points
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 58 points (17c, 8p)
9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 43 caps, 75 pts (15t)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 36 caps, 10 points (2t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 90 caps, 60 pts (12t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 95 caps, 65 points (13t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 pts
4 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 70 caps, 25 points (5t)
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 81 caps, 120 pts (24t)
1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 44 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – 2 caps, 10 points (2t)
17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 10 pts (2t)
18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 0 pts
19 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 43 caps, 10 points (2t)
20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 56 caps, 50 points (10t)
21 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 22 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 21 caps, 115 pts (1t, 37c, 12p)
23 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 22 caps, 5 pts (1t)
The match kicks off at 09h05 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
SOURCE: SA RUGBY
