Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has stuck to his winning formula by making only one change to the team that won against Ireland.

De Villiers drafted in Frans Steyn to the outside centre berth to the team that beat Ireland 23-21 in Dublin on Saturday. Zane Kirchner drops to the bench while the replacement looseforward position will be confirmed later in the week.

Here is the team (name, province, age and number of Tests):

Deon Stegmann will make his debut for the Springboks against Ireland on Saturday, along with Patrick Lambie if Jean de Villiers is not declared fit. The bench will also include two uncapped players.

The team shows eight changes (nine if De Villiers is unavailable) to the one which ended the Vodacom Tri-Nations against Australia in September.

The six definite survivors are Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, captain Victor Matfield and Jannie du Plessis. A seventh, Francois Hougaard is on the bench, while an eighth in Frans Steyn will only join the squad after the Ireland match.

Stegmann, 24, comes in for Schalk Burger in the No 6 jersey. Burger suffered a broken rib in the Absa Currie Cup final and withdrew from the tour party.

The 20-year-old Lambie – man of the match in the Absa Currie Cup final after a two-try, 25-point haul on Saturday – is on standby to replace Jean de Villiers at inside centre if he fails to recover from his groin injury.

South Africa v Ireland – Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 6 November 2010

15 – Gio Aplon (Vodacom Western Province, age: 28, caps: 9)
14 – Bjorn Basson (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 23, 2)
13 – Zane Kirchner (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 26, 10)
12 – Jean de Villiers/*Patrick Lambie (Vodacom WP/The Sharks, 29/20, 63/0)
11 – Bryan Habana (Vodacom Western Province, 27, 66)
10 – Morne Steyn (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 26, 21)
9 – Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland, 26, 43)
8 – Pierre Spies (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 25, 37)
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Injuries to some players have hampered Springbok coach Peter de Villiers‘ plans to name an unchanged team for Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash against Australia.

While there was an expectation that some players may have been rested for the Boks’ final game, De Villiers resisted tinkering with the team, and was keen to ensure the momentum was kept from the victory at Loftus Versfeld last week.

Two players who went for scans necessitated the move, with Butch James ruled out of action after popping his shoulder while Flip van der Merwe’s neck strain was sufficient enough to let Danie Rossouw back into the starting line-up for the weekend’s game.

De Villiers was consistent in the Van der Merwe move as he started Flip two weeks ago against the All Blacks when Rossouw had a niggling injury.

Van der Merwe has been given extra time to rest, but has been cleared for the game.

“Butch will not be part of the Tri-Nations any further. He popped his shoulder and has been ruled out. The other guys have been cleared and will be part of the squad.”

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Francois Steyn will replace Gio Aplon who drops out of the squad altogether and Jaque Fourie returns after suspension to take over from Juan de Jongh at outside centre. De Jongh moves to the bench.

Those are the only changes to the starting line-up of the side that lost to the All Blacks at FNB Stadium last weekend.

On the bench Wynand Olivier makes way for De Jongh while Ryan Kankowski has been brought in as a replacement to add more pace to the pack. He replaces Francois Louw who is also no longer in the match-22.

Springbok team: Frans Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthro Steenkamp.

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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers made ten changes to the starting XV to face the British & Irish Lions in the third and final Test at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

De Villiers included only one uncapped player in the starting team when he named Vodacom Blue Bulls player Zane Kirchner at fullback.

Morné Steyn and Chiliboy Ralepelle will both make their first starts for the Springboks at flyhalf and hooker respectively, while the other newcomers to the starting line-up are Johann Muller, Heinrich Brüssow, Ryan Kankowski, Wynand Olivier, Jaque Fourie, Jongi Nokwe and Odwa Ndungane.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to play against the Lions and we respect them so much, that we wanted to give all our players a chance to take them on,” said De Villiers.

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Bulls fullback Zane Kirschner will make his debut as Springbok on Saturday against the British & Irish Lions.

The 25-year-old Bulls fullback is an unexpected addition to the Bok line-up that will try to make history by becoming the first South African team in the two sides’ 118 history to win all three tests in a series. The Springboks have won three series – in 1903, 1962 and 1968 – but never all the tests.

Kirchner joined the team on Monday at Bok coach Peter de Villiers’s request. Although it was initially said that Kirchner was invited to gain experience, De Villiers will on Thursday surprise many by announcing the name of the fullback as a member of the Bok 22-member squad.

Kirchner’s brilliant form in the Super 14 and his performance for the Emerging Boks against the Lions at Newlands, convinced De Villiers to give the Bulls star a chance.

Kirchner has played in 15 of the Bulls’ Super 14 matches and impressed with his excellent tactical kicking and his ability to win back his own high kicks.

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