KEY POINTS:
MONTPELLIER - South Africa will use the luxury of having already qualified for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals to field close to their best team against the United States here on Monday (NZ time).
The Springboks, World Cup winners in 1995, secured their last-eight place with a second-string team in a heart-pumping 30-25 win over Tonga last weekend and will play either Wales or Fiji in their October 8 quarter-final in Marseille.
Twelve of the team who smashed England 36-0 in Paris a fortnight ago will be back for the win-less American Eagles.
The only two squad players to get a run will be winger Akona Ndungane, having his first start in the tournament, and lock Albert van den Berg, who will be playing in his 50th Test.
Schalk Burger returns from a two-match suspension and will play at No.8 while Danie Rossouw recovers from a serious head knock in South Africa's win over Tonga.
Fullback Percy Montgomery, lining up for his 91st Test against the American Eagles, faces a fitness test on a calf injury at training on Saturday.
"The most important thing is getting more game time together as a group," coach Jake White said today.
"We're quite fortunate because we know we are playing in the quarters next week and so what we are going to try to get out of this fixture is to create the opportunity for two weeks' preparation for a quarter-final next weekend.
"The reality was that our preparation for the quarters actually started after the game against Tonga."
White said he was concerned the American Eagles may try to spoil in Sunday's match and he intends to raise the issue with English referee Tony Spreadbury ahead of the Montpellier game.
"America have the least amount of points scored against them of all the teams that are bottom of their pool," White said.
"I am a bit concerned that they don't take too much spoiling tactics to slow the ball down at the breakdown and not allow some continuity, but I'll address that with the referee and obviously get (skipper) John Smit to talk to the referee during the game."
The Eagles are backing up just four days after their fighting second-half to go down 25-21 to Samoa in St. Etienne last Wednesday.
SOUTH AFRICA
Percy Montgomery, Akona Ndungane, Jaque Fourie, Francois Steyn, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Fourie du Preez, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Wickus van Heerden, Victor Matfield, Albert van den Berg, BJ Botha, John Smit (capt), Os du Randt. Reserves: Bismarck du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Bakkies Botha, Bobby Skinstad, Ruan Pienaar, Andre Pretorius, JP Pietersen.
USA
Chris Wyles, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Philip Eloff, Vahafolau Esikia, Salesi Sika, Mike Hercus (capt), Chad Erskine, Dan Payne, Todd Clever, Louis Stanfill, Mike Mangan, Alec Parker, Chris Osentowski, Owen Lentz, Mike MacDonald. Reserves: Blake Burdette, Matekitonga Moeakiola, Mark Aylor, Henry Bloomfield, Mike Petri, Valenese Malifa, Thretton Palamo.
- AFP
