Duane leads Boks, Kleyn starts

Duane Vermeulen will captain a Springbok facet that includes a mixture of skilled campaigners and thrilling fringe gamers within the 2023 Rugby Championship opener in opposition to the Wallabies in Pretoria on Saturday.

Vermeulen leads a workforce that includes a core of 2019 Rugby World Cup winners and gifted newcomers who’ve excelled at very important moments previously few seasons, and it contains former Eire worldwide lock Jean Kleyn, set to make his Springbok Take a look at debut.

198 – @Sprinkboks duo Jean Kleyn (198) and Marvin Orie (197) made extra tackles than another second rows within the 2022/23 @URCOfficial – Kleyn additionally made probably the most carries of any lock (145) and had the third finest deal with success % of any second row with 120+ makes an attempt (94%). Towering. https://t.co/AJi9hBeZFP

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) July 4, 2023

Flyhalf Manie Libbok and free ahead Marco van Staden will begin for the primary time having beforehand made three and 10 Take a look at appearances respectively as replacements.

South Africa’s first two Checks of the season are separated by seven days, 12 000km and 10 time zones. A gaggle of 14 gamers are consequently scheduled to depart for New Zealand on Tuesday to acclimatise to situations in that nation for the showdown in opposition to the All Blacks at Eden Park on 15 July.

Vermeulen, who captained the Springboks in opposition to Argentina and the All Blacks in 2019, takes over the captaincy from the injured Siya Kolisi and completes a robust free trio with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Van Staden, whereas the entrance row options props Frans Malherbe and Ox Nche and hooker Bongi Mbonambi. Kleyn companions Marvin Orie at lock.

Within the backline, thrilling Bulls wingers Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse will play in entrance of their house followers with skilled fullback Willie le Roux serving because the final line of defence whereas Lukhanyo Am returns to Bok responsibility for the primary time since August to resume a former Sharks provincial partnership with Andre Esterhuizen.

Libbok is partnered at halfback by scrumhalf Cobus Reinach – who makes his first Take a look at begin for the reason that ultimate match of the 2021 season.

The Boks have gone with a six-two break up in favour of the forwards on the bench – Grant Williams (scrumhalf and wing) and Damian Willemse (flyhalf, centre and fullback) present backline cowl.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies, prop Trevor Nyakane and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies will stay with the workforce to help of their preparations for Saturday’s season-opener and to supply cowl if mandatory, which means the coaches may have a bunch of 26 gamers to work with this week.

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Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse.

Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix