The All Blacks carry a 1-0 lead into the second match of the four-Test series following a 33-16 victory over South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, as reported by allblacks.com. New Zealand crossed for five tries to one in the opening encounter, with Will Jordan scoring twice, according to allblacks.com. The upcoming fixture is scheduled to kick off at 5.10pm local time on Saturday, August 29, at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, corresponding to 3.10am Sunday, August 30 New Zealand time, as detailed by allblacks.com.
All Blacks and Springboks Prepare for High-Stakes Cape Town Test
Concussion Protocols Force All Blacks Lineup Adjustments
New Zealand must adjust their forward pack after lock Josh Lord and prop Ethan de Groot clashed heads late in the first half at Johannesburg, according to RNZ. Both players are undergoing a mandatory 12-day stand-down under World Rugby’s concussion protocols, ruling them out of the team named on Thursday by coach Dave Rennie, as noted by RNZ. Veteran front-rower George Bower, 34, is expected to take de Groot’s place at loosehead prop after his injection at Ellis Park helped solidify the New Zealand scrum, per RNZ. Xavier Numia is in line to take Bower’s spot on the bench following a brief appearance in the midweek win over the Lions, according to RNZ.
To replace Lord in the second row, Rennie is considering pairing Fabian Holland with Blues skipper Patrick Tuipulotu, or alternatively promoting flanker Simon Parker to the starting side and moving Tupou Vaa’i from blindside flanker to lock, as reported by RNZ. The All Blacks are otherwise expected to keep the remainder of their successful first-test squad intact, though improving scrum stability remains a primary focus after conceding five straight scrum penalties at Ellis Park, according to Nzherald.
Springboks Reshuffle Halfbacks and Backline for Redemption
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has made significant changes to his starting lineup for the second Test, promoting experienced duo Handré Pollard and Cobus Reinach at halfback, according to uk.sports.yahoo.com. Pollard and Reinach replace Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who moves to the bench, and Grant Williams, who is unavailable due to a “niggle,” per uk.sports.yahoo.com. Additional changes see Ethan Hooker come onto the left wing to replace the injured Cheslin Kolbe, while Kurt-Lee Arendse shifts to the right wing, as reported by uk.sports.yahoo.com and citizen.co.za.
Cheslin and Grant suffered niggles last weekend, which ruled them out of contention for selection,
Erasmus stated, according to citizen.co.za. Erasmus also noted regarding the halfback promotion: Handre has delivered for us under extreme pressure, and we feel that is what he and Cobus have the potential to bring at the beginning of the game,
as cited by uk.sports.yahoo.com. Furthermore, captain Siya Kolisi has been bracketed with Paul de Villiers as coaches monitor his recovery from a hamstring injury, per uk.sports.yahoo.com.
Milestones and Squad Lineups for Saturday
South Africa’s matchday squad features major personal milestones, with loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit set to win his 100th cap and become the 11th player to reach the milestone for the Springboks, while Ox Nche makes his 50th appearance, according to uk.sports.yahoo.com and citizen.co.za.
| Position | Starting XV | Reserves |
|---|---|---|
| Backs | Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Ethan Hooker, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach | Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu |
| Forwards | Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi or Paul de Villiers, Ruan Nortje, Eben Etzebeth, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche | Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom |
