SOUTH AFRICA vs TONGA
Match Preview

Tonga are aiming to beat a weakened South Africa side in Lens on Sunday after their confidence boosting start to the competition. The Springboks are fielding just four of the players who started the 36-0 rout of England in Paris last weekend and the Tongans - their confidence soaring after winning their first two games against the USA and Samoa - sense that a victory isn’t as far out of reach as some might believe.

Centre Epeli Taione said the South Sea islanders felt they have a chance of causing an upset against the red-hot Pool A favourites.
"We are going to enjoy this game. If anything the pressure is on South Africa," he said. "If you were a bookmaker you would probably put all your money on South Africa to win, but when we came here our realistic target was to beat United States and Samoa and we have achieved that.“

"Now it's a matter of enjoying the game and we are here to win, there's no doubt about that. As players we always want to test ourselves against the best and we are looking forward to it.  We are expecting to play a full professional side and that's what we are playing for. The challenge for ourselves as players is to perform against the best."

Assistant coach Ellis Meachen said there would be no question of his players being any less physical against South Africa despite being shown a red and two yellow cards in the Pacific Island derby against Samoa.  "We've addressed some problems there this week. But the Tonga-Samoa game was very special to us," he said. "The fact that it was at the World Cup made it even more special and so therefore the intensity was at its highest.”

"We won't be telling our players to back off, that's not the way the Tongans play rugby. We will be going out there to compete for every ball, whether it be on the ground or in the air, and I'm sure South Africa will be doing the same.’’
Jake White on the other hand has chosen to freshen up his squad with an eye on a possible quarter-final against Wales in Marseilles. The Springbok replacements bench, boasting 311 caps, will be more than equipped to lace up their boots and stem any Tongan surges.

Veteran Bobby Skinstad skippers the side from loose forward with White making 13 changes in all.

Most notably, Percy Montgomery is required to sit patiently as he awaits the honour of becoming South Africa's most-capped international.

"I have told him he will go on," White assured the Paris media on Wednesday.

"People might say: 'Why are you giving him his 90th cap from the bench?'

"But Monty is not going to be remembered as a guy who came off the bench to play many Test matches - he has been a hell of a good servant."

South Africa: 15 Ruan Pienaar, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Wayne Julies, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 André Pretorius, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Bob Skinstad (c), 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Wikus van Heerden, 5 Albert van den Berg, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gürthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 John Smit, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Victor Matfield, 19 Juan Smith, 20 Bryan Habana, 21 Frans Steyn, 22 Percy Montgomery.

Tonga: 15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Tevita Tu'ifua, 13 Sukanaivalu Hufanga, 12 Epeli Taione, 11 Joseph Vaka, 10 Pierre Hola, 9 Sione Tu'ipulotu, 8 Finau Maka, 7 Nili Latu (c), 6 Viliami Vaki, 5 'Emosi Kauhenga, 4 Paino Hehea, 3 Kisi Pulu, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Soane Tonga'uiha.
Replacements: 16 Ephraim Taukafa, 17 Taufa'ao Filise, 18 Inoke Afeaki, 19 Lotu Filipine, 20 Soane Havea, 21 Isileli Tupou, 22 Aisea Havili.

Date: Saturday, 22 September
Venue: Stade Félix Bollaert, Lens
Kick-off: 14.00 (13.00 BST, 12.00 GMT)
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Touch judges: Paul Marks, Federico Cuesta
Television match official: Malcolm Changleng
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie