De Villiers in race to prove fitness for Samoa clash

Jean de Villiers: Fitness test. Picture: Getty

De Villiers sustained a rib injury in last weekend’s win over Scotland in Nelspruit and has not trained this week. If he is unable to play on Saturday, JJ Engelbrecht will move to inside centre, Serfontein will start and hooker Adriaan Strauss will take over as captain.

“Luckily we have a strong squad of group leaders,” said coach Heyneke Meyer.

A similar deadline has been given to flanker Willem Alberts, who missed the wins over Italy and Scotland because of a side strain. He will have to pass a fitness test tomorrow or Siya Kolisi will replace him. Francois Louw returns on the other flank in place of Marcell Coetzee. Louw had last weekend off to get married.

Lock Flip van der Merwe has been included at the expense of his Bulls colleague Juandre Kruger.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have recalled fit-agan stand-off Daniel Carter and scrum-half Piri Weepu for the third and final Test against France in New Plymouth on Saturday. With the series in the bag after victories in Auckland and Christchurch, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen also brought in Rene Ranger on the wing

Hansen also gives blindside flanker Victor Vito his first start of the year at Yarrow Stadium.

“While the series has been won, we certainly won’t be underestimating the French in this final match,” Hansen said.

Carter missed the first two Tests with a broken hand and returns to give Aaron Cruden a much-needed rest.

Weepu is back after suffering concussion in the Auckland Blues’ Super Rugby defeat to the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin earlier this month.

Hooker Dane Coles will miss the match with a calf strain and has been replaced by Andrew Hore. Keven Mealamu is the reserve hooker.