Early test: Lions face Springbok-packed South Africa A team
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Eleven members of the Springboks' Rugby World Cup-winning squad have been selected to start for South Africa A against the British and Irish Lions in Cape Town on Wednesday, giving the tour game the feel of a test before the series begins.
At least 10 of those South Africa A starters are also expected to run out for the Springboks in the first test on July 24 at the same Cape Town Stadium.
The Lions will line up with tour captain Conor Murray at scrumhalf and lock Maro Itoje and loose forwards Tom Curry and Taulupe Faletau in the pack, all of them contenders to start the test series.
The decision to load the A team with first-choice Springboks comes with the world champions desperate for match time. South Africa has played just one test since winning the World Cup in 2019 - a 40-9 win over minnow Georgia 10 days ago.
Many of the South Africa A starters didn't even play that game.
The second warmup test against Georgia was canceled after a coronavirus outbreak in both squads and the A team named on Monday might have looked even more like a test team if not for more than a dozen South Africa players - including captain Siya Kolisi - testing positive over the last two weeks.
British and Irish Lions' head coach Warren Gatland leaves the field before the start of a warm-up rugby match between South Africa's Sharks and British and Irish Lions, at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wednesday, July 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
For South Africa A, Springboks playmaker Faf de Klerk starts at scrumhalf and lines up against Murray. Eben Etzebeth starts opposite Itoje in the second row, as they're expected to do in the first test. And Curry comes up against South Africa flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe takes on Josh Adams, the Lions' leading try-scorer on the tour.
The South Africa A backline has five players who started the World Cup final victory over England two years ago; de Klerk, centers Damian de Allende and captain Lukhanyo Am, Kolbe and fullback Willie le Roux.
De Klerk, de Allende, Am and Kolbe all missed the test against Georgia, and the A game will be their only warmup before the three-test series.
The Lions have had three blowout victories against domestic opposition on their tour, most recently a 71-31 win over the Sharks in Pretoria on Saturday.
For South Africa A, they retained Dan Biggar at flyhalf and moved wing Anthony Watson to fullback. Wyn Jones and Kyle Sinckler will take on Springboks props Steven Kitshoff and Trevor Nyakane in the front row battle.
"Wednesday´s game against South Africa A will be our toughest encounter since we arrived here and we´re looking forward to it," coach Warren Gatland said. "We expect them to be physical in the contact area and look to test us at scrum time."
The virus continues to complicate South Africa's planning since a first batch of players tested positive for COVID-19 on the day the squad got together last month. The players have spent most of the last two weeks confined to their hotel rooms and some had to stay in Johannesburg to complete mandatory self-isolation periods while the squad moved to Cape Town.
They included Kolisi, wing Makazole Mapimpi and hooker Bongi Mbonambi, all first-choice Boks, who were among a latest group of six players to return positive tests this weekend, ruling them out of the A game.
Coach Jacques Nienaber tested positive last week and, although he selected the A team, he was also kept in Johannesburg and won´t be at Wednesday night´s game.
"We´re pleased to be able to name a quality team with a number of experienced players despite the challenges in the last week, which included the entire squad being confined to their rooms as part of the team´s preventative self-isolation measures," said Nienaber.
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South Africa A: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am (captain), Damian de Allende, Sbu Nkosi, Morne Steyn, Faf de Klerk; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Marco van Staden, Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Joseph Dweba, Steven Kitshoff. Reserves (to be cut to eight players): Malcolm Marx, Coenie Oosthuizen, Vincent Koch, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Rynhardt Elstadt, Herchel Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Kwagga Smith, Elton Jantjies.
British and Irish Lions: Anthony Watson, Louis Rees-Zammit, Chris Harris, Bundee Aki, Josh Adams, Dan Biggar, Conor Murray (captain); Taulupe Faletau, Tom Curry, Josh Navidi, Iain Henderson, Maro Itoje, Kyle Sinckler, Ken Owens, Wyn Jones. Reserves: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Mako Vunipola, Zander Fagerson, Adam Beard, Tadhg Beirne, Sam Simmonds, Gareth Davies, Elliot Daly.
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Georgia's Beka Saginadze, middle, is challenged by South Africa's Pieter Steph du Toit, left, and teammate Frans Malherbe during first test rugby match between South Africa and Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, July 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
British and Irish Lions' Conor Murray catches the ball during a training session held at St Peter's College Monday, July 5, 2021 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (David Rogers/pool photo via AP)
British and Irish Lions' head coach Warren Gatland leaves the field before the start of the warm-up rugby match between South Africa's Sharks and British and Irish Lions at the Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
A stadium worker sanitises safety pads attached to the goal post during half-time of a warm-up rugby match between South Africa's Sharks and British and Irish Lions at the Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, Saturday, July 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's captain Siya Kolisi during the first test rugby match between South Africa and Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, July 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
South Africa's head coach Jacques Nienaber runs as his team warms up before the start of the first test rugby match between South Africa and Georgia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, Friday, July 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
British and Irish Lions' Josh Adams, left, is challenged by South African Lions' PJ Botha during a warm-up rugby match between South Africa Lions and British and Irish Lions at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, July 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
British and Irish Lions' Josh Adams in action, during a warm-up rugby match between South Africa Lions and British and Irish Lions at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, July 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
