NATIONAL NEWS - Springbok coach Allister Coetzee named a strong team to face Argentina in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener in Nelspruit on Saturday, making five changes from the side that beat Ireland in a three-test series in June.
Coetzee gave tighthead prop Julian Redelinghuys a well-deserved start, brought back Racing Metro utility back Johan Goosen for his first test match since 2014 alongside veteran Bryan Habana, while making changes to the loose trio with Oupa Mohoje and SA Rugby Player of the year Lood de Jager returning to the starting line-up.
De Jager leapfrogs Pieter-Steph du Toit into the starting line-up while Goosen is back for the exiled Willie le Roux with Habana providing the experience in a very young backline that without him doesn’t even make up 50 caps.
Coetzee’s reliance on players like Habana, Francois Louw, Eben Etzebeth and captain Adriaan Strauss is precisely because of the lack of experience in the side and hopefully they will pay him back with good performances this weekend.
