Boks ignore overseas stars

Springbok head coach Peter de Viliers has decided not to select any of his foreign-based players for next month's UK tour. [more]

Boks ignore overseas stars

Springbok head coach Peter de Viliers has decided not to select any of his foreign-based players for next month’s UK tour.

The decision to pick players based solely in South Africa means that Bath outside-half Butch James misses out, along with Leinster’s CJ van der Linde and Toulon’s Joe van Niekerk.

"We decided against selecting players from overseas on this occasion as they know they can slot in at any time," added de Villiers.

"We have named what we believe is the strongest squad.

”It has been selected from the players we used during the Vodacom Tri-Nations as well as the form players in the Absa Currie Cup.”

The World Champions feature two uncapped players, Golden Lions No10 Earl Rose and Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brüssow, in a 28-man squad for the Tests against Wales, Scotland and England on November 8, 15 and 22 respectively.

"Both Earl and Heinrich really put their hands up in the Absa Currie Cup,” added de Villiers.

"Earl’s form may have dipped at times but he has the ‘X’ factor you look for in a fly-half and has time to develop while Heinrich has really burst onto the scene and is outstanding at contesting at the breakdown.”

South Africa squad to tour the UK

Backs

Jean de Villiers – Western Province
Fourie du Preez – Blue Bulls
Jaque Fourie – Golden Lions
Bryan Habana – Blue Bulls
Adrian Jacobs – Sharks
Conrad Jantjes – Western Province
Enrico Januarie – Western Province
Jongi Nokwe – Cheetahs
Odwa Ndungane – Sharks
Ruan Pienaar – Sharks
JP Pietersen – Sharks
Earl Rose – Xerox Golden Lions
Francois Steyn – Sharks

Forwards

Andries Bekker –  Western Province
Bakkies Botha – Blue Bulls
Schalk Burger – Western Province
Heinrich Brüssow – Cheetahs
Bismarck du Plessis – Sharks
Ryan Kankowski – Sharks
Victor Matfield – Blue Bulls
Tendai Mtawarira – Sharks
Chiliboy Ralepelle – Blue Bulls
Brian Mujati – Western Province
Danie Rossouw – Blue Bulls
John Smit (captain) – Sharks
Juan Smith – Free State Cheetahs
Pierre Spies – Blue Bulls
Gurthrö Steenkamp – Blue Bulls

On standby

Peter Grant – Western Province
Jannie du Plessis – Sharks
Johann Muller – Sharks
Wynand Olivier – Blue Bulls
Adriaan Strauss – Cheetahs
Heinke van der Merwe – Golden Lions
Jano Vermaak – Golden Lions

Previous story Gatland wants more happy memories
Next story Cusiter one of three injuries