The Springboks have named Ruan Pienaar at fullback in place of Frans Steyn for this weekends test match against Australia. When I saw this change I must say I was a bit shocked! What is PdV thinking? I am not the biggest Frans Steyn fan but the boy is playing well especially with this kicking game the Boks have adopted. I can not recall the last time I saw Ruan Pienaar play at fullback so it will be interesting to see how he handles it.

PdV has come out and said that the reason he has picked Ruan at the back is in the hope that he will spark the Boks attack. In all fairness, the Boks backline has not sparked for a while now but why reshuffle things when it is working for you? As they say, “If it ain’t broken then don’t fix it.”

But then looking a bit more closely to this Ruan selection at the back; chances are high that Frans is going to leave SA Rugby and go play in Europe so thus PdV has to come up with a solution at the back if Frans does end up leaving. So could Ruan be the long term replacement fullback for the Boks? We all know that PdV loves Ruan and he will do anything to find a place in the team for him but I have my doubts with Ruan at the back.

The second change in the Bok lineup sees Shalk Burger return to the bench after his ban. PdV may have been tempted to bring him straight into the starting lineup if Juan Smith was injured but Smith has been declared fit. I would have been shocked if PdV had replaced Burger with Brussow.

What do you make of Ruan starting at fullback?

The Bok Team in full is: 15 Ruan Pienaar, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (c), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Frans Steyn.