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Cape Town - The Springboks will eke out a victory against the Barbarians at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday, local bookmakers have predicted.
Allister Coetzee’s Boks are under pressure, having lost five of nine matches this year, including a humiliating 57-15 defeat to the All Blacks in their most recent encounter.
Due to Saturday’s match falling out of the official Test window, Coetzee was unable to call on his overseas Boks, forcing the South African mentor to pick a new-look team, which includes six uncapped players in the starting line-up.
There are a total of nine uncapped players in the South African match-day 23, but that status quo will remain after Saturday as the game is not an official Test.
The newcomers in the starting line-up are RG Snyman (lock), Roelof Smit (flank), Jamba Ulengo (wing), Rohan Janse van Rensburg (inside centre), Francois Venter (outside centre) and Sergeal Petersen (wing), while Lizo Gqoboka (prop), Jean-Luc du Preez (flank) and Tian Schoeman (flyhalf) are the newbies on the bench.
But the bookmakers still feel the Boks will prove too tough for their opponents, who themselves boast four South African-born players in their starting team.
According to Sportingbet.co.za, South Africa will win the game by 7 points.
It would see the Boks draw level with the Barbarians in their head-to-head stakes.
The invitation team currently holds a 4-3 edge, having won the last two encounters - in 2007 and 2010.
Saturday’s match is scheduled for 17:30 (SA time).
Springboks v Barbarians head-to-head:
January 26, 1952: South Africa 17-3, Cardiff Arms Park - Cardiff
February 4, 1961: South Africa 0-6 Barbarians, Cardiff Arms Park - Cardiff
January 31, 1970: South Africa 21-12 Barbarians, Twickenham - London
December 3, 1994: South Africa 15-23 Barbarians, Lansdowne Road - Dublin
December 9, 2000: South Africa 41-31 Barbarians, Millennium Stadium - Cardiff
December 1, 2007: South Africa 5-22 Barbarians, Twickenham - London
December 4, 2010: South Africa 20-26 Barbarians, Twickenham - London
Teams:
South Africa
15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Pat Lambie (captain), 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Beast Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Ruan Combrinck
Barbarians
Substitutes: 16 Andrew Ready (Reds), 17 Schalk van der Merwe (Montpellier), 18 Toby Smith (Rebels & Australia), 19 Sam Carter, (Brumbies & Australia), 20 Ruan Ackermann (Lions), 21 Nic Stirzaker (Rebels), 22 Richard Mo’unga (Crusaders), 23 Luke Morahan (Force & Australia)
