Victor Matfield will captain South Africa in their final Pool D game against Samoa at North Harbour Stadium.
Winger JP Pietersen and scrum-half Fourie du Preez both start
Victor Matfield will captain South Africa in their final Pool D game against Samoa at North Harbour Stadium on Friday.
The experienced lock has missed the last two matches due to a hamstring strain but is now fit to take his place in the pack for the fixture in Auckland.
His return is a timely boost considering fellow second rower Bakkies Botha is ruled out of the game through injury.
Matfield has also been named as skipper of a team that shows seven changes to the line-up that started the 87-0 hammering of Namibia at the same venue last Thursday.
Pre-planned move
Regular captain John Smit drops to the bench in a pre-planned move to allow Bismarck du Plessis to start for the first time during the World Cup.
Du Plessis is joined in the front row by his brother, Jannie, and the returning Tendai Mtawarira.
Heinrich Brussow is drafted into the back row while winger JP Pietersen and scrum-half Fourie du Preez return amongst the backs. The versatile Francois Hougaard is amongst the replacements where he is joined by the fit-again Jean de Villiers.
"It is the first time since our first game that we have the privilege to select the team from 29 fit players," coach Peter de Villiers said.
"The one thing that stood out in the Samoa v Fiji game (last Sunday) was how good Samoa were at scrum time.
"They annihilated the Fiji scrums, so that is a bit of bother for us. But having Victor back in the lineout, that can be a great contest now. He understands the systems and he inspires people around him."
The Springboks need at least one point from the match to be sure of qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament.
South Africa team to face Samoa on Friday: 15 Pat Lambie, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie Du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Jannie Du Plessis, 2 Bismarck Du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 John Smit, 17 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 18 CJ van der Linde, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Francois Hougaard, 22 Jean De Villiers.
