Sharks No.10 Ruan Piennar will line up against the All Blacks this weekend © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

Teams: Boks and All Blacks set for latest battle

News: Matfield calls for Boks to lift game

News: McCaw plays up Burger absence

News: SARU called to face disciplinary panel

News: Smit grateful for brutal Lions warm-up

News: All Blacks won't make big changes

News: De Villiers completes Munster switch

News: De Villiers unconvinced by favourites tag

News: All Blacks eye Springboks' scalp

Players/Officials: Peter De Villiers | Ruan Pienaar

Tournaments/Tours: Tri Nations

Teams: South Africa

Ruan Pienaar has won the battle to wear the Springboks' No.10 shirt for their opening Tri-Nations clash with the All Blacks in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

Pienaar fought off the challenge of the Bulls' Morne Steyn to be handed the play-making role in what is a Springboks side at very close to full strength. The only players missing from the starting side that wrapped up a series victory over the British & Lions in their second Test clash in Pretoria are injured centre Adrian Jacobs and suspended flanker Schalk Burger.

Coach Peter De Villiers has opted for the skill of Pienaar, despite some mixed form early in the Lions series, with Steyn coming on late to kick the match-winning penalty at Pretoria. Pienaar will carry the goalkicking duties.

"It is always going to be a difficult decision to pick a team when you have players of the calibre we have," said De Villiers. "It was a difficult decision to choose between Ruan and Morne, you always have difficult decisions as a coach. "In rugby, you can't look too far ahead, so I will say that if injury hits, we will consider starting Steyn at fly-half."

The midfield was the other area of debate but made easier for the coach as Jacobs has struggled all week with a groin injury. Centre Jaque Fourie has been cleared of a quad niggle and will start at centre, alongside long-time midfield colleage Jean de Villiers. Fullback Francois Steyn and wingers JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana form a predictable, if potent, back three.

Captain John Smit at tighthead prop is part of the all-Sharks front row who demolished the Lions for much of the first Test at Durban. World class Bulls pair Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha are reunited at lock after Botha was suspended from the third Lions test at Johannesburg.

Burger is still serving his ban for eye gouging, leaving Heinrich Brussouw in the openside role while Juan Smith will be on the blindside, meaning both flankers will play at their Cheetahs home ground, Vodacom Park. Super 14 stars with the Bulls, No.8 Pierre Spies and halfback Fourie du Preez form a key combination at the base of the Springboks scrum.

"It was a big setback to lose Adi, as he has been in our plans for a long time," added De Villiers. "Adi is a part of our plans and the way we want to play. When we sat down and looked at all our centres we looked at all the guys who are similar to each other because we didn't want to change too much.

"But with Jaque coming in, the plans won't change that much. They are very similar players and we will look to play a similar style of rugby with Jaque now at number 13. Jean (de Villiers) and Jaque worked well together as a team two years ago. I am excited that they are reunited and look forward to seeing what they can do."

Fourie's place on the bench has been taken by Bulls counterpart Olivier, called up yesterday as cover for Jacobs, while Jannie du Plessis, the Sharks prop who was not part of the last series, is also amongst the replacements, with Andries Bekker the unlucky player to miss out from the initial 23-man squad.

Asked whether he was concerned about the Springbok defence, which seemed to be exploited despite the series win against the Lions, De Villiers added, "You can't fulfil that commitment all the time. There will be holes sometimes in rugby because you're playing against the best in the world.

"I don't think that we were too bad in our defence, it's just that the Lions studied us and they exploited some weaknesses in our defence."

South African: Francois Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pieenar, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussouw, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier