Big night for Connacht as Springboks experiment

Connacht v South Africa:South African coach Jake White fields an almost completely different team from the one that recently wiped out any thoughts of Namibia being able to step up to the plate. Aficionados of World Cup records be warned.

While Namibia went into the three-figure mark (105 points) and took a hell of a beating, Connacht, who have never played the Springboks, are expected to set a more robust challenge in Galway.

With Schalk Burger, Percy Montgomery, John Smit and Victor Matfield not included in tonight's line-up, White - who said before the Namibia rout it was not the scoreline that mattered but the cohesion and the way the team presented itself as a unit - will look for similar qualities from this side.

The match gives him a chance to look at his fringe players, and led by Bobby Skinstad, who injured ribs in the 17-25 loss to the Wallabies in Sydney six weeks ago, the team is essentially a second-string selection.

The first-choice line-up will probably re-form when the Springboks meet Scotland in their last warm-up game before the World Cup in France.

This match is essentially one to show White who will tog out against the pool minnows in France and what players he wants on the bench when the Boks arrive at the business end of the competition against England in their pool and then at the knock-out stages.

Skinstad will play at number eight alongside flanker Wikus van Heerden, who has recovered from knee surgery, and Danie Rossouw, who has also made a full recovery from the hamstring strain that kept him from training in recent weeks.

With a front row of tighthead prop BJ Botha, hooker Bismark du Plessis and loosehead Gurthrö Steenkamp, they can hardly be labelled second stream in the normal sense of the word.

In the back line Jaque Fourie keeps his place at outside centre, while Ashwin Willemse moves wings and JP Pietersen fills Montgomery's shoes at fullback, having played on the left flank against Namibia. Ruan Pienaar will play at outhalf.

For Connacht, three will make debuts. Ofisa Treviranus will start on the right wing, Tim Donnelly is at outhalf and Robbie Morris at tighthead prop.

Head coach Michael Bradley is not exactly easing them in but it is a match everyone on the Connacht side will relish.

Mel Deane will play his first match for Connacht since moving to Sale Sharks in 2000, while two other men who have returned to Connacht, international flanker Johnny O'Connor and Mike McCarthy, will start on the bench.

What Bradley will be interested in is how his team cope with heavy pressure and massive strength and how a few individuals perform against such elite opposition. The pack know they are in for a memorable night.

Like White, Bradley won't be too bothered about the scoreboard unless it heads toward Namibian heights. But when you take a hard look, this is a side in pre-season training preparing for the Magners Celtic League facing a former World Cup-winning nation where players are probably on their last chance to earn a line-up place in the green jersey of South Africa. On paper it's a mismatch. Yet, despite the apparent contradiction, Connacht should enjoy the ride.

CONNACHT: D Riordan; O Treviranus, M Deane, A Wynne, J Hearty; T Donnelly, C McPhillips; B Wilkinson, A Flavin, R Morris; D Gannon, A Farley; J Muldoon, R Ofisa, C Rigney. Replacements: J Merrigan, B McGovern, M Swift, M McCarthy, J O'Connor, T Tierney, P Durcan.

SOUTH AFRICA: JP Pietersen; A Ndungane, J Fourie, B James, A Willemse; R Pienaar, R Januarie; G Steenkamp, B du Plessis, B J Botha; J Muller, A van den Berg; W van Heerden, D Rossouw, B Skinstad. Replacements: G Botha, CJ van der Linde, B Botha, J Cronje, A Pretorius, W Murray, B Habana.

Referee: George Clancy (Ireland).