At this stage there is a 99.9% probability that the Toyota Cheetahs lock and South African Rugby Player of the Year, Lood de Jager, will not be fit for the crunch match on the Highveld.
De Jager has sat out of training for the week thus far after sustaining a calf injury against the Irish during last weekend’s historic 26-20 defeat at Newlands.
He was joined on the sidelines during training by the Toulon eighth-man, Duane Vermeulen, who is nursing a minor knee injury.
Elton Jantjies will start at flyhalf for the match in the place of Pat Lambie who has been ruled out with concussion following a nasty blow to the head when he collided with the suspended South African-born Irish flanker, CJ Stander.
The former Bulls flyhalf, Morné Steyn, looks set for Springbok cap number 61 after linking up with the side in Johannesburg following an emergency SOS to replace Lambie. The Sharks pivot, Garth April, who represented the South African A side against the England Saxons in Bloemfontein a week ago, is not in the picture for the Test at all.
There are debuts on the cards for this weekend with the lock, Franco Mostert, coming on the bench as cover for De Jager. The player has been with the squad since the beginning of their camp after Du Toit was originally doubtful after picking up a grade 2 hamstring tear against the Cheetahs in the Super Rugby.
While he didn’t have much time on the park at Newlands, the Bulls back, Jesse Kriel, looks to set relinquish his spot on the bench to the exciting Lions speedster, Ruan Combrinck. It is expected that he will take to the field at his home ground and will serve as cover for JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo and Willie le Roux.
Vermeulen is expected to be fit for the game and this should mean that the explosive Jaco Kriel will have to wait even longer to don the green-and-gold for the first time.
Coach Allister Coetzee did state that he is going to resist the temptation to ring the changes for the second Test match and no further changes are expected.
Saturday’s second Test at Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg kicks off at 17:00.
Expected Springbok team – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements – 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Warren Whiteley, 22 Rudy Page, 22 Morné Steyn, 23 Ruan Combrinck.
