Meyer picks more experienced team for Test against Wallabies

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer made six changes to his team to play against Australia in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test in Perth on Saturday. Tendai Mtawarira returns to the starting line-up in place of Gurthro Steenkamp while hooker Adriaan Strauss replaces Bismarck du Plessis. Victor Matfield also returns from injury to take his place in the second row while Marcel Coetzee gets a start at flank in place of Juan Smith. Flyhalf Morne Steyn gets back his number 10 jumper in place of Handre Pollard and Jan Serfontein will start at number 13 in place of Damian de Allende. Meyer says he chose a more experienced team and is hoping to get some continuity after their below par performances against Argentina…… Even though Meyer conceded that Serfontein’s will be playing out of position at number 13, Meyer says that he will be interchanging his centres in order for captain Jean de Villiers to help Serfontein on defence…… Meyer said that he was concerned at the lack of training time Francois Louw and Serfontein got this week because they were nursing niggles but his biggest concern is the lack of caps amongst the players on the bench…… With tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis having played most of the Tests this year and Super Rugby matches for the Sharks, Meyer says he will need to rest Du Plessis and that he was hoping that Frans Malherbe would take over the reins at prop until Malherbe suffered an injury in Salta against Argentina. Meyer believes that Du Plessis will anchor the scrum again and will do a better job than they did in Salta…… The weather forecast for Perth on Saturday anticipates rain when the Springboks play against the Wallabies which will go against the Springboks ambition to play an expansive game. Meyer says his team want to move the ball around but is expecting a tough battle regardless of the conditions….. The Springboks did not lose to the Wallabies last year with their last defeat coming two years ago coincidentally at the same Patersons Stadium they will be playing at on Saturday in Perth, but Meyer is adamant that the Wallabies are ina better place than his Springbok team. Meyer has lamented the number of injuries that have struck his team and the lack of continuity but remains hopeful that his side will put in a good performance…Journalist: Vata Ngobeni