Meyer Names South African Side

Springbok Captain Jean De Villiers With New Head Coach Heynke Meyer

Heynke Meyer has named an inexperienced side for South Africa's first of a three match test series against England on Saturday. Jean De Villiers starts as captain in the centres with Racing Metro star Francois Steyn who starts at inside centre. The ever impressive Morne Steyn will start at fly half next to Francois Houghaard, the rapid Blue Bull, who starts at scrum half. Elsewhere in the backs Bryan Habana starts on the wing with Zane Kirchner the Blue Bulls star, starting at full back with JP Pietersen on the other wing. Suprisingly the highly impressive wings of Lwazi Mvovo and Bjorn Basson have been left out of the squad for Saturdays game, both have arguably been in more form and played more on the wings than both Pietersen and Habana who have both been playing at 13 this year.

Up front there is an all Natal front row with the De Plesis brothers accompanying Tendai 'The Beast' Mtawarira. At second row, the experienced pairing of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield have been replaced by the huge 6'8 20 year old Eben Etzebeth and Blue Bulls Juandré Kruger who makes up a partnership with no caps. The line up is completed in the back row with new cap Marcell Coetzee
starting atopenside with Willem Alberts at 6 and the experienced Pierre Spies at number 8.

The side named by Meyer will face England on Saturday in what we will expect to be a bruising test series. Dan Cole has already said how Meyer brought a 'tough bullying style' to Leicester, this uncompromising stance is expected in his South Africa side. It has long been style of South African rugby to throw forwards round the corner before using the kicking game of Morne Steyn. With Meyer the same style is expected with more ruthless agression and organisation than the Peter De Villers regime.

15) Kirchner 14) Pietersen 13) De Villiers (C) 12) F.Steyn 11) Habana 10) M.Steyn 9) Hougaard                 1) Mtawarira 2) B.du Plessis 3) J.du Plessis 4) Etzebeth 5) Kruger 6) Coetzee 7) Alberts 8) Spies

16) Adriann Strauss, 17) Coenie Oosthuizen, 18) Flip Van Der Merwe, 19) Keegan Daniel, 20) Ruan Pienaar, 21) Pat Lambie, 22) Wynand Olivier