Worse Springbok sides have been picked before

Placing the precocious, multi-skilled Pat Lambie in the key flyhalf channel, Houwing says, was a gratifying move, as "Meyer has long maintained his best potential lies at fullback."

Meyer is to be commended for probably going against his instincts, at least to some degree, in awarding the Sharks player with the string-pulling role. The more experienced but essentially conservative Morne Steyn creeps back closer toward a starting berth, however, by being included among the reserves for Saturday's encounter.

One can expect a public storm over the continued deprival of a start to Juan de Jongh, the in-form Western Province centre who was instrumental in the upset triumph for the "Streeptruie" in the final of the domestic competition. "Warts and all, considerably worse Springbok sides have been picked down the years; let's not lose sight of that," Sport24's Houwing says.

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