The following is the team for Saturday's match against Saracens:-
1. Tendai Mtawarira,
2. Bismarck du Plessis (C),
3. Jannie du Plessis,
4. Etienne Oosthuizen,
5. Pieter–Steph du Toit,
6. Tera Mtembu,
7. Jean Deysel,
8. Willem Alberts,
9. Cobus Reinach,
10. Tim Swiel,
11. Lwazi Mvovo,
12. Andre Esterhuizen,
13. Paul Jordaan,
14. Odwa Ndungane,
15. Tyler Fisher
Replacements
16. Kyle Cooper,
17. Dale Chadwick,
18. Lourens Adriaanse.
19. Stephan Lewies,
20. Jacques Botes,
21. Charl McLeod,
22. Heimar Williams,
23. Jaco van Tonder
One can understand some selections in the absence of Lambie and Coetzee, but others are rather difficult to understand. Francois Steyn is again injured - but there is no news about the nature of the injury yet. Unfit and overweight players are more exposed to inju ry than others.
Some of the players are very young and inexperienced and this is an excellent opportunity to test them in the big league. Players like Swiel, Fisher and Esterhuizen has never played provincial rugby = they were all Under 21's - some could even have played Under 19 last year.
Is the above with the exception of Coetsee and Lambie what White has in mind as his core starters in Super 15? One would not know - it could just be that he wants to give them a run in pre-season.
