Minimal changes for Boks and Wallabies

By MIKE GREENAWAY

PERTH – South African winger Dean Hall has overcome an ankle injury and will play against the Wallabies on Saturday.

Hall is part of a Springbok rugby team that shows just one change from the side who toppled the Australians off their lofty perch at Loftus Versfeld in the first round of their Tri-Nations fixtures.

As expected, lock Victor Matfield's lineout prowess has been preferred to the scrumming power of Johan Ackermann, who deputised for the injured Matfield in Pretoria.

There are only four survivors from the Springbok team who beat the Wallabies 14-13 in Perth in 1998, an indication of the high attrition rate in international rugby and the fickleness of selection.

The survivors are Joost van der Westhuizen, Mark Andrews, Andre Venter and Robbie Kempson.

"That is the nature of the beast that is SA rugby," says veteran Andrews, who will extend his SA test cap record to 74, as will Van der Westhuizen.

"In the past we have been guilty of discarding experienced players too easily. I just hope that this team will be kept together now. I think the pieces of the jigsaw are now in place, and the team must now settle down and grow."

Of the Wallaby side from '98, only John Eales and Toutai Kefu played in the pack, but significantly their attack force out wide is pretty much intact, with Matthew Burke, Daniel Herbert, Joe Roff, Stephen Larkham and George Gregan there again.

"That is the difference," says Springbok coach Harry Viljoen.

"The Wallaby playmakers have been working together for more than three years. They know each other inside out."

The experience in the Springbok side is overwhelmingly loaded in favour of its pack.

"Our forwards are in form - they were awesome in our last two matches - but now it is time we unleashed our backs," said captain Bobby Skinstad.

"They have been held in harness for too long. We have dangerous players in Fleck and Paulse and we need to use them. And Butch James has shown he can do it against these guys. We must take the game to them. We have the players to do it.

"But if we go into the match thinking we can win because we have won in the past we are going to get whipped. Australia are a tremendous side as they've proved time and again, and I keep telling the guys that it is going to take a heroic effort to beat these guys."

The Springboks have won just two of their last seven matches against Australia but it is perhaps a good sign for the visitors that their leader is something of a talisman when it comes to playing the Wallabies.

Skinstad has been victorious three times out of four against Australia with the only defeat he played in coming in the 1999 World Cup semifinal.

Australia have promoted Chris Latham to replace wing Andrew Walker in their starting side. Walker was dropped for missing the team's flight to Perth.

Uncapped Brumbies winger Graeme Bond comes onto the bench.

Australia: Matthew Burke, Chris Latham, Daniel Herbert, Nathan Grey, Joe Roff, Stephen Larkham, George Gregan, Toutai Kefu, George Smith, Owen Finegan, John Eales (captain), Justin Harrison, Rod Moore, Michael Foley, Nick Stiles.

Reserves: Brendan Cannon, Ben Darwin, Matt Cockbain, Phil Waugh, Chris Whitaker, Elton Flatley, Graeme Bond.

South Africa: Conrad Jantjes, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, Braam van Straaten, Dean Hall, Butch James, Joost van der Westhuizen, Bobby Skinstad (captain), Andre Venter, Andre Vos, Mark Andrews, Victor Matfield, Cobus Visagie, Lukas van Biljon, Robbie Kempson.

Reserves: Thinus Delport, Deon Kayser, Neil de Kock, Joe van Niekerk, Corne Krige, Ollie le Roux, John Smit.

Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand).

- INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (SOUTH AFRICA)