RUAN Combrinck has made his breakthrough and was named as one of the 23 players who will represent South Africa in the second test against Ireland.
The bulky wing from the Emirates Lions, who plays some of his best rugby currently, made the 31 player Springbok squad but was not selected for the first test at Newlands last weekend. He was, however, under the 23 Springboks named on Thursday, June 16, to play at his home grounds, Emirates Airline Park on Saturday June 18.
Though Combrinck, who resides in the Alberton area, will play off the bench, he is quite confident that he will get his playing time in the latter part of the match. “I’m am quite excited and even though I didn’t make the first test I am happy to be selected for the second,” said Combrinck at the announcement of the team by head coach Allister Coetzee.
“I think there will be excitement at first when I come on but then I will have to focus. I did play a lot of rugby for the past few years and I think that I am playing well currently. There is also a few of my provincial team mates and I think that we will be a strong side to be reckon with on Saturday”
In the meantime, Springbok coach Allister Coetzee has made five changes to his match-23 – four of them necessitated by injury – as the South Africans look to bounce back from when they face Ireland in the second Test in the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
The two changes in the starting line-up are because of injury, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Elton Jantjies replacing Lood de Jager and Pat Lambie respectively, while the Emirates Lions duo of Franco Mostert and Ruan Combrinck are on the bench and could make their Test debut at their home ground. In the final change, Morne Steyn is added to the bench as flyhalf cover.
The second Test of the three-match series kicks off at 17:00 at the Emirates Airline Park Stadium in Johannesburg. Ireland won by 26-20 in Cape Town last weekend.
Mostert and Combrinck will join Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) as the only uncapped players on the bench.
Coetzee described Saturday’s clash on the Highveld as a massive one, and said the squad have worked hard to rectify their mistakes.
“We spoke hard and were very frank in our assessment of last week’s performance,” said Coetzee.
“The Springboks are capable of executing the fundamentals of the game much better and that’s what we will set out do on Saturday. We know Ireland will come with a real desire to clinch the series, however, we must be ready to confront them and put ourselves into a position to succeed.
“I believe players who played in Cape Town deserve another opportunity and I am looking forward to see what they can do this week.”
“Ruan has been playing very good rugby and so has Franco. I will look to the bench to maintain the intensity and again bring impact off the bench,” added Coetzee.
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