Springbok coach confirms record-breaking half-back duo for final
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made only two changes to his starting team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final.
Nienaber is calling on the 2019 final half-back pairing of Handré Pollard and Faf de Klerk in the upcoming game, which in turn makes them a record-breaking pair.
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This makes them the most capped nine-and-ten combination in Springbok history. The pair start together for the 25th time, moving past Joost van der Westhuizen and Henry Honiball (24 Tests).
They are among a starting team which features 10 players who started the RWC final four years ago.
The team is also the most experienced in Springbok history with a combined total of 987 caps (eclipsing the record set the previous week against England of 895 Test caps).
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A further four players on the bench also featured in the match-23 in the final at Yokohama Stadium, while 15 of the players in the squad appeared in the Springboks’ 35-7 victory the last time South Africa and New Zealand met at Twickenham in August.
Only two players in Nienaber’s forward pack did not start the 2019 final – lock Franco Mostert and prop Steven Kitshoff – with both playing off the bench four years ago. Mostert is paired once again with Eben Etzebeth, while Kitshoff partners hooker Bongi Mbonambi and prop Frans Malherbe in the front row.
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Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit (both flankers), and Duane Vermeulen (No 8) will again unite in an impactful loose trio.
In the backline, Pollard and De Klerk replace the duo of Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach, who both drop out of the 23 to accommodate a split of seven forwards and one back on the bench.
This is an experienced team with several players who played in the last Rugby World Cup final and who know exactly what to expect at Stade de France on Saturday and what it will take to retain the title. The players who will be playing in their first World Cup final have also proven their worth as warriors throughout this campaign and they are all ready for this massive occasion. This a huge day for the entire squad – and the guys who played for us earlier in the season. As a coaching team we are proud of the contribution that every player in the larger squad made in getting us to the final to create this opportunity.
Good luck to the team and may they once again bring it home!
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Main image courtesy of SA Rugby