 Martyn Williams will be back in Barbarians colours against South Africa |
Welsh flanker Martyn Williams is the only British Isles player who will start for the Barbarians against South Africa on Saturday at Twickenham. The 35-year-old's Wales and Cardiff Blues' team-mate John Yapp is on the bench in a side largely dominated by Australians and New Zealanders. Wallaby Matt Giteau leads the invitation side from fly-half. South Africa have called uncapped centre Andries Strauss into their squad to replace the injured Zane Kirchner. Kirchner suffered concussion and also picked up an elbow injury in last weekend's 21-11 win over England, while centres Jean de Villiers and Frans Steyn, who has gone back to club side Racing Metro, are also unavailable for the return trip to Twickenham. Springboks coach Peter de Villiers said: "We have alternatives for full-back in the squad in Gio Aplon and Patrick Lambie but are short on centres. "Andries had a great Absa Currie Cup season for the Sharks and has played his way to this opportunity." There are two uncapped players in Kiwi number eight Colin Bourke and South African lock Anton van Zyl. The latter, who captains Western Province, will relish the chance to face his fellow countrymen in the Springboks' final game of 2010. Italian prop Salvatore Perugini is the only European other than Williams in the starting line-up while countryman Quintin Geldenhuys is on the bench, as is Fiji's Seru Rabeni. Williams has been overtaken in the Wales back-row pecking order this autumn by fellow Cardiff Blue Sam Warburton. Warburton started in the Wales defeats by Australia and New Zealand, but his jaw injury allowed Williams to play the full 80 minutes of their loss to the Springboks on 13 November. Wales coach Warren Gatland rested Williams for the 16-16 draw against Fiji that followed and the British and Irish Lion replaced Warburton for the final five minutes of Wales' final autumn Test, the 37-25 defeat by the All Blacks. Giteau has tasted victory as a Barbarian against South Africa and New Zealand in the past. He will be partnered at half-back by fellow Australian scrum-half Will Genia. Giteau said: "This is a great honour and I am deeply grateful to the Barbarians committee for the confidence they have shown in me." South Africa go into the game at the end of a tour that has seen them lose to Scotland, but beat Ireland, Wales and England. Barbarians: James O'Connor (Aus); Joe Rococoko (NZ), Drew Mitchell (Aus), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Aus), Ma'a Nonu (NZ); Matt Giteau (Aus, capt), Will Genia (Aus); Salvatore Perugini (It), Stephen Moore (Aus), Neemia Tialata (NZ), Anton van Zyl (Stormers), Chris Jack (NZ), Rodney So'oialo (NZ), Martyn Williams (Wales), Colin Bourke (Chiefs). Replacements: Keven Mealamu (NZ), John Yapp (Wales), Quintin Geldenhuys (It), Daniel Braid (NZ), Andy Ellis (NZ), Stephen Donald (NZ), Seru Rabeni (Fiji). Revised Springbok squad: Gio Aplon, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Patrick Lambie, Charl McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Andries Strauss, Willem Alberts, Bakkies Botha, Keegan Daniel, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Alistair Hargreaves, Ryan Kankowski, Bandise Maku, Tendai Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Juan Smith (captain), Adriaan Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe. Highlights - England 11-21 South Africa
|
Bookmark with:
What are these?