Springboks wary of under-pressure Wallabies

PERTH, Australia (AFP) –

South African coach Heyneke Meyer, pictured here in January, is wary of a Wallabies resurgence in their Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, saying his team are underdogs as they bid to end a losing streak against Australia.

South African coach Heyneke Meyer is wary of a Wallabies resurgence in their Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, saying his team are underdogs as they bid to end a losing streak against Australia.

The wobbling Wallabies host the Springboks in Perth and Meyer knows the home side will be desperate to bounce back after being humbled by the all-conquering All Blacks both at home and away last month.

Robbie Deans’ Australia conceded the Bledisloe Cup for the 10th successive year when they were beaten 27-19 in Sydney on August 18 before suffering an embarrassing 22-0 defeat at Auckland’s Eden Park a week later.

The losses have placed an enormous amount of pressure on Deans, but Meyer expects the Wallabies to come out firing, suggesting his own team, who have also had form woes, would start as underdogs.

“I have a lot of respect for Robbie Deans. He’s very astute and a very knowledgeable guy so he’ll know how to handle the pressure and I think the quality of a great coach is to take the pressure off the players,” said Meyer.

“I know the psyche of the Australian rugby players. They will definitely come out with all guns blazing. They are a proud team and they have been together for quite some time.

Australia coach Robbie Deans (L) and captain David Pocock prepare for a team photograph at their Rugby Championship match against New Zealand in August. Australia were beaten 27-19 in Sydney on August 18 before suffering an embarrassing 22-0 defeat a week later.

“There is obviously a lot of pressure on them and we are probably the underdogs.”

Recent form in Tests between the two countries supports Meyer’s stance.

The Springboks, for only the second time in their history, have lost their past four Tests against Australia, with their last win in August 2010 in Pretoria.

In their most recent meeting, the Wallabies won 11-9 in the quarter-finals of last year’s World Cup.

“We don’t have a good record against them,” Meyer conceded. “We have lost four out of four against them, and won one out of seven, which shows how tough it is to play against Australia.

“Even though New Zealand beat them quite convincingly they are still a quality side.”

Deans dismissed Australia’s recent dominance against South Africa, who are second in the four-nation Rugby Championship with six points, as a factor in the match.

“At the end of the day it doesn’t matter,” said Deans, whose side have zero points.

Australia’s Kurtley Beale (R) and David Pocock during their Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand in August. Beale is recalled to the starting line-up at fullback and Queensland winger Dominic Shipperley is named for his Test debut.

“The players understand that when you play the Springboks, you play a side that’s always committed and you’ve got to earn everything you get, and it won’t be any different on Saturday. The past is irrelevant.”

For the Wallabies, Kurtley Beale is recalled to the starting line-up at fullback and Queensland winger Dominic Shipperley is named for his Test debut.

Beale was relegated to the bench for Eden Park, after an error-riddled performance in Sydney and his recall sees Adam Ashley-Cooper shuffled to outside centre.

Deans expects Beale to put that poor form behind him against the Springboks.

“He’s in a better space. I don’t think you’ll see a performance like that from Kurtley again,” Deans said. “He’s too good a player for a repeat of that.”

While Stephen Moore will become the most capped hooker in Australian Test history, the Wallabies will again be without skipper David Pocock, who will sit out the rest of the Rugby Championship with a knee problem.

His role will be filled by 20-year-old Michael Hooper.

The Springboks are coming off a disappointing 16-16 draw against Argentina in Mendoza last month.

They too have made changes, five in total, with Western Province number eight Duane Vermeulen to make his Test debut on Saturday.

Adriaan Strauss has been included at hooker after coming through a first set of fitness tests, but remains a doubt.

Australia (15-1)

Kurtley Beale; Dominic Shipperley, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Radike Samo, Michael Hooper, Dave Dennis; Nathan Sharpe, Sitaleki Timani; Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson.

Replacements: Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Scott Higginbotham, Liam Gill, Nick Phipps, Mike Harris, Anthony Fainga’a.

South Africa (15-1)

Zane Kirchner; Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, Duane Vermeulen; Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee; Juandre Kruger, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: Tiaan Liebenberg, Pat Cilliers, Flip van der Merwe, Francois Louw, Johan Goosen, Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo.