South African Captain Siya Kolisi speaks with Mark Tele’a of New Zealand. Photo: Catherine Kotze / www.photosport.nz
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi might be fast approaching 100 caps for his country, but when they take on Australia on Sunday morning, he will be scrumming down at No 8 for the first time in a Springbok jersey.
He starts the opening Rugby Championship clash against the Wallabies at Ellis Park at the back of the pack, moved from the flank in a move designed to counter Australia's prowess at breakdown play.
"My role will change slightly in the lineouts and the scrums, but other than that I'll be fulfilling my usual role," Kolisi said.
"Playing No 8 at the Sharks certainly helped me, although the role here is different," he said of previous experience at franchise level.
"I'm also not the same type of player as Jasper (Wiese) or Duane (Vermeulen) in terms of my size, so I'm going to give what I can offer."
Vermeulen was a colossus at No 8 for the Boks when they won the last two World Cups and since his retirement Wiese has similarly been physically brutal in his style. However, he is suspended for Saturday's clash.
"The breakdowns are going to be a big area of the game, so myself, (flankers) Marco (van Staden) and Pieter-Steph (du Toit) have important jobs, although that said, the breakdowns are a team effort," added Kolisi, who wins a 94th cap.
Rassie Erasmus. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
Kolisi at No 8 gives South Africa more effectiveness at breakdown play, countering Australia's threat, said coach Rassie Erasmus earlier this week.
"The more we prepared, we realised the only time Siya really plays at eight is during scrums, and scrums happen maybe 13 or 14 times a game. General play happens far more. Australia are a huge threat at the breakdown, and Pieter-Steph, Marco and Siya are really strong there," said the coach.
Saturday's clash comes after Australia lost their home series 2-1 to the British & Irish Lions, albeit winning the last test in Sydney at the start of the month.
South Africa will start as strong favourites but Kolisi cautioned about looking ahead to a potentially stiffer test against New Zealand later in the southern hemisphere championship.
"The talk in our camp has solely been on Australia. We saw how they played against the British & Irish Lions, and we've been in the position they are now in the past, so it would be foolish to think that they won't throw everything at us," Kolisi said.
Boks make late switch
South Africa have been forced into a late change to their bench, prop Boan Venter replacing the injured Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Wessels was injured in training on Wednesday and has not recovered in time and will be replaced by Venter, who made his Springboks debut against Georgia last month.
Venter joins fellow prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and experienced hooker Bongi Mbonambi as the front row replacements, with South Africa opting for a 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench, diminishing the effectiveness of their so-called "Bomb Squad" of forward replacements.
{h} Wallabies tweak bench
Meanwhile, Australia also made a change to their bench, after re-evaluating the cover they want for veteran first-five James O'Connor.
Coach Joe Schmidt decided he would pick Tane Edmed, who has a single cap, as cover and has taken loose forward Nick Champion de Crespigny off the list of replacements he had named on Thursday.
Ben Donaldson was originally meant to be cover for the 35-year-old O'Connor, who will play for the Wallabies for the first time in three years, but went down with an unspecified upper leg injury in training.
It added to the woes at No10 for Australia, whose first choice Tom Lynagh suffered a concussion in the third test against the British & Irish Lions in Sydney a fortnight ago and did not travel for the two matches against the Springboks. The second clash is in Cape Town next weekend.
- Reuters