Boks coach denies quota pressure

Under-fire Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has staunchly denied bowing to political pressure by overlooking veteran Schalk Burger in favour of unproven black flanker Teboho Mohoje this weekend.

Mohoje, 24, has only played a handful of Super Rugby games for the Cheetahs and one Test off the bench for South Africa but was a shock selection to play the Wallabies at Newlands.

Former Boks skipper Burger is a Cape Town favourite, captaining the Stormers and enjoying a miraculous recovery from a death-defying illness in the past year, and was viewed as a logical replacement for the injured Francois Louw (neck).

Meyer had brought the 71-Test flanker back from Japan for this weekend’s Mandela Plate decider but instead chose to include him on an experienced bench along with fellow stalwarts Bismarck du Plessis, Bakkies Botha and JP Pietersen.

The coach has been under pressure to select more black Africans after government plans were revealed this month for half the Springboks side to be made up of players of colour by 2019.

Meyer, currently encouraged to have seven non-white players in his 23-man matchday squads, had also been criticised for overlooking Mohoje and other black players during their recent losing tour of Australia and New Zealand.

But he stressed that had nothing to do with the blindside flanker’s selection on Wednesday.

“There’s no pressure,” Meyer said. “I pick the side that I believe is the best and he’s really proved in training that he can deliver the goods.”

Nicknamed Oupa, Mohoje doesn’t attack the breakdown like Louw and Burger, who are hard on-the-ball fetchers, and has been anointed to fill powerhouse Willem Albert’s big boots with his lineout work and destructive wide-running.

With Mohoje yet to play overseas, Meyer said it had always been part of a long-term plan to start him at home.

But the coach highlighted the enormity of the task confronting the 24-year-old by comparing the influence of injured duo Louw and Alberts to that of Richie McCaw and Kieran Read on the All Blacks.

“To lose Flo and Willem Alberts, it’s like (New Zealand) losing McCaw and Read but I must say we are blessed with loose forwards in this country,” he said.

“Oupa has really come on in leaps and bounds this year. I’ve been really impressed with his physicality and his athleticism.”

Meyer also argued Newlands crowd favourite Burger would play an important role with his experience and composure crucial at the death.

“I also felt we need a lot of experience for the last 10 minutes,” he said. “I think it’s just right for the balance of the team.”

In-form Sharks flanker Marcell Coetzee will fly solo in the ball-pilfering role in an intriguing openside clash with Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper.

The Springboks made one more change to the starting 15 which lost 14-10 to the All Blacks in Wellington, with Francois Hougaard replacing the injured Ruan Pienaar at halfback.

South Africa: Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Jan Serfontein, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Francois Hougaard; Duane Vermuelen, Teboho Mohoj, Marcell Coetzee, Victor Matfield, Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Andriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira. Res: Bismarck du Plessis, Trevor Nyakane, Marcel van der Merwe, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Burger, Cobus Reinach, Pat Lambie, JP Pietersen.

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