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Cape Town - He has called for a better all-round performance, but Springbok coach Allister Coetzee hopes his bench can again make a big impact against Ireland this weekend.
Substitutions made the difference in last weekend’s 32-26 comeback win in the second Test in Johannesburg.
No 8 Warren Whiteley and debutant wing Ruan Combrinck were particularly impressive as the Boks twice overturned 16-point deficits to level the series.
Whiteley and Combrinck were rewarded with starting spots for this weekend’s final Test in Port Elizabeth, and the Bok mentor hopes his charges can fire from the word go on Saturday.
“When they do come off the bench I would like them to keep giving us that impact,” Coetzee said after naming his team on Thursday. “(But) the players who start, it’s not just (about) absorbing... we would like to see that we start well, much better than the previous Test.
“We must get it right from the start and when we do introduce the bench, we should really up the ante in the last stanza of the game and hopefully we can see that combination working in tandem this week. But it’s important for us to play with that physical intensity from the word go.”
This weekend, there are three potential debutants on the bench - hooker Bongi Mbonambi, prop Steven Kitshoff and flank Jaco Kriel.
Coetzee said the debutants should follow scrumhalf Faf de Klerk’s example, who has impressed in his first two Tests as a Springbok.
“If you looked at the way Faf de Klerk started his first Test in Cape Town. He was not overawed. He accepted and embraced all challenges and he really had a good game.
“They (the potential debutants) must just play from whistle to whistle and forget about everything else. Know your job and do your job. That’s important for any new cap that steps up... to contribute. He’s got a role to play and he must be able to execute that role.”
Saturday’s clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is scheduled for 17:00.
Teams:
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ruan Combrinck, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Jaco Kriel, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Lwazi Mvovo
Ireland
15 Tiernan O'Halloran, 14 Andrew Trimble, 13 Luke Marshall, 12 Stuart Olding, 11 Keith Earls, 10 Paddy Jackson, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Jordi Murphy, 6 CJ Stander, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Iain Henderson, 3 Mike Ross, 2 Rory Best (captain) 1 Jack McGrath
Substitutes: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Finlay Bealham, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Rhys Ruddock, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Matt Healy
