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Bakkies blow for Boks

Wellington - Springbok lock Bakkies Botha's World Cup dream has almost certainly come to an end, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers said on Wednesday after announcing his team that will take on the Wallabies in Sunday's quarter-final in Wellington.

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"That was the worst part of my day yesterday, at training when Bakkies came down at the first lineout we had and injured himself again," De Villiers said.

"It is a sad day for myself and for Bakkies too as it looks like his tournament will be over.

"That is the reality, that is life and this is what we get and we just have to move on."

Botha injured his Achilles tendon in training prior to the start of the tournament and was ruled out of South Africa's opening match against Wales.

He then enjoyed short stints against Fiji and Samoa before picking up a hamstring injury that saw him miss their final pool match against Samoa.

On Wednesday, just 24 hours after the big second-rower declared himself "100 percent fit", he injured his foot.

De Villiers included wing JP Pietersen in the team, despite the fact that the winger had been unable to train with the squad because of a knee injury.

Pietersen still had to undergo a fitness test after the team was announced.

Should he not recover, De Villiers said, he would be replaced by Francois Hougaard.

"We have a little tiger in Hougaard," De Villiers said.

"He will be the one that will step in there and I don't think there will be a difference between the two.

"But JP knows the system so well and the guys inside him know him so well, so it will be good for us if he comes through."

Eight of the players in the starting line-up were part of the team that lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2007 and three players on the bench were part of the squad.

Hooker John Smit was recalled in place of Bismarck du Plessis, regaining the captaincy, while prop Gurthro Steenkamp was reintroduced as a replacement for Tendai "Beast" Mtawarira.

While the Springboks opted for a five-two split on the bench for their clash against Samoa last week (five forwards and two backline players), a more mobile list of replacements was announced this time round, and while Du Plessis joined the bench, Mtawarira was dropped from the match 22 altogether.

As expected, Jean de Villiers returned at his preferred position of centre, in the third and final change to the starting team, as a replacement for Frans Steyn who was sent home last week with a shoulder injury.

Butch James and Gio Aplon were added to the bench.

Teams:


South Africa: 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp

Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Willem Alberts, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Butch James, 22 Gio Aplon

Australia:

TBA

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