Lions feel the Bok cull
The Lions halfback duo of Francois de Klerk and Elton Jantjies were among the most significant names to miss the cut when the Springbok squad for the opening round of the Rugby Championship was named.
Bok coach Heyneke Meyer on Sunday finalised the squad of 31 players that will travel to Brisbane to face Australia in Round One on Saturday.
A host of injured players – Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts, Frans Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Steven Kitshoff – were not considered for the week-long tour and will continue with their individualised rehabilitation programmes.
As was reported last week Bok captain Jean de Villiers will be playing for Western Province in Currie Cup pre-season warm-up matches for the next two weeks, before he returns to the squad for the encounters with Argentina.
Others who are working their way back from long-term injuries include Heinrich Brüssow (fractured arm) and Coenie Oosthuizen (neck surgery).
The rest of the current Springbok squad who are not on the airplane to Brisbane, will move to Pretoria where they will continue their rehabilitation and conditioning work.
It is here where the most selection decisions were made.
Apart from scrumhalf De Klerk and flyhalf Jantjies, Lions lock Franco Mostert was also culled.
Patrick Lambie, Handré Pollard and Morné Steyn are the flyhalf choices, while Rudy Paige, Ruan Pienaar and Cobus Reinach are the scrumhalves who will travel to Brisbane.
Others staying behind include wing Cornal Hendricks, fullback Zane Kirchner, flank Siya Kolisi, hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni and prop Marcel van der Merwe.
The touring squad consists of 22 of the 23 players who beat the World XV 46-10 at Newlands in Cape Town at the weekend.
The only member of the matchday squad to stay behind in South Africa is De Villiers.
The players who did not feature against the World XV, but will travel to Brisbane, are Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, Jan Serfontein, Morné Steyn, Schalk Brits, Lood de Jager, Frans Malherbe and Heinke van der Merwe.
"I would like to give as many of our squad members as possible game time in the build-up to the World Cup, so there will be changes against the Wallabies," Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said.
"We'll re-assess the minor bumps and bruises when we get to Brisbane on Monday.
"It's a short week so the guys will have to find their rhythm quickly before we play what promises to be a very tough and intense Test match against Australia."
South African tour squad:
Forwards: Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Marcell Coetzee, Lodewyk de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss, Heinke van der Merwe, Warren Whiteley.
Backs: Damian De Allende, Bryan Habana, Jesse Kriel, Patrick Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Jan Serfontein, Morné Steyn.
