Jean de Villiers captains South Africa for Rugby World Cup
Friday 28 August 2015 19:16, UK
Heyneke Meyer has named his South Africa squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, with Jean de Villiers selected as captain.
The 107-Test veteran has not featured much for the Springboks this year, with a broken jaw the latest injury keeping him away from vital match practice, but that has not swayed Meyer from naming the stalwart as his captain for the campaign.
De Villiers is joined by the familiar faces of Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana, while Cobus Reinach and Marcel Coetzee are among the unlucky ones to miss out.
Reinach has played understudy to Ruan Pienaar for much of the this year and 2014, but the uncapped Bulls half-back Rudy Paige is preferred as the third scrum-half in the squad along with Pienaar and Fourie du Preez.
Coetzee's exclusion has been brought about by the return from injury of Willem Alberts, though Siya Kolisi could easily have fallen on the axe with Coetzee able to cover more of the loose forward positions.
Another back rower unlucky to be passed over is Heinrich Brussow, who was recently brought back into the Springbok fold, but has not been given a seat for the trip to London.
The Springboks appear to be backing a more pragmatic approach to the campaign, with old heads such as Morne Steyn and Zane Kirchner included, as Cornal Hendricks and Elton Jantjies fall out of the reckoning.
Morne Steyn's experience and goal kicking will have earned him a place, while Kirchner's ability to cover the wing edges the likes of Cornal Hendricks and Lionel Mapoe who have recently featured for the Boks.
South Africa World Cup squad:
Forwards: Jannie du Plessis, Frans Malherbe, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Schalk Brits, Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Lood de Jager, Pieter-Stef du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Victor Matfield, Willem Alberts, Schalk Burger, Siya Kolisi, Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen.
Backs: Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar, Pat Lambie, Handre Pollard, Morne Steyn, Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers (c), Jesse Kriel, Bryan Habana, Willie le Roux, Zane Kirchner, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen.
