RWC South Africa/Australia: the Quarter Finals clash

: Saturday, 08 October 2011 06:20

On Sunday, South Africa will meet Australia in the World Cup quarter finals.

This will be the 73rd encounter between the 2 teams with 41 victories for the Boks against 31 for the Wallabies, the 2 teams having drawn only once.

During the pool phases, South Africa won its 4 matches; Australia conceded one defeat to Ireland, 15 to 6.

But South Africa faces several uncertainties and especially 2 important withdrawals: Francois Steyn (shoulder injury) and Bakkies Botha (Achilles’ tendon injury). Besides, the South African selector will have to compromise with key players’ injuries such as: Smit, Pietersen, Habana or de Villiers.

Despite its withdrawals, the South African team will be the most experienced ever lined up in an international match, with an average age of 28 years and 272 days.

The team: Lambie - Pietersen, Fourie, J. De Villiers, Habana - (o) M. Steyn, (m) du Preez - Burger, Spies, Brussow - Matfield, Rossouw - J. du Plessis, Smit (cap), Steenkamp

Substitutes: B. Du Plessis, Van der Linde, Alberts, Louw, Hougaard, James, Aplon

Match on Sunday 9 October 2011, 18:00, (5:00 GMT), Wellington Regional Stadium

G.Fontana

translated by Nelly Orvain