Meyer: World Cup trial for fringe Boks
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer dismissed the notion that his 36-man tour squad is oversized and unpractical.
Speaking to the media, ahead of his team's four-match year-end tour, Meyer pointed out that this is the last chance he has to work with some of the fringe players.
It is also the last chance to see players in the tough Northern Hemisphere conditions they will experience at the World Cup in England next year.
The Boks start their campaign against Ireland (November 8) in Dublin, then play England, Italy and Wales on successive Saturdays.
Meyer said that given the circumstances he doesn't feel that 36 players are too much.
"[The size of] this squad is an idea I had from the outset, because next year there are no mid-year Tests," the Bok mentor told a media scrum at the team's training base in Johannesburg.
"We only have these four Tests and we are not going to have the players from January till July.
"Previously we had the mid-year tours where we had three or four Tests where we could work with the players – where you could have looked at guys and give them opportunities.
"This is the last opportunity we have to work with every single player. This is the right time to look at a guy like Nizaam Carr. Now, we will have six months to give him feedback through videos and email."
Meyer also pointed out that this is the only chance he will have to assess the players before the World Cup in the same conditions they will experience at the World Cup.
"The last game [against Wales on November 29] the overseas-based players won't be available, because it falls outside the IRB Test window," he said, adding: "You can't fly a guy in on a Monday and then he has to play on the Saturday, while you have never worked with him.
"The positions we have covered is where those guys will play. So they need to work with us for three weeks before they can play in that game.
"The main thing for me this is the last chance to see the players and see who will go with us to the World Cup. Having 36 players [on tour] will help us work with some fringe players."
Meyer also said the tour will help familiarise the players with the tough conditions they can expect at the World Cup.
"Winning is always top priority," he said, when asked if they would move away from their expansive approach.
"People said we change our game, but three of our games were in rainy conditions and one in severe rain.
"One of the aspects [of our game] we need to improve is that we don't play well in wet conditions, because we don't experience it a lot.
"Even in New Zealand in wet conditions we wanted to move the ball, but we were not good enough and skilful enough to move it.
"Last year we scored the most tries in the world and believe it or not, we still score the most per game. We want to go out and score tries, but you still have to go out there and win the game.
"Winning is always the most important, because that is what we'll face in the World Cup, but obviously we want to move the ball, we want to score tries and play exciting rugby.
"We want to find that balance and we have to see which guys can play in those conditions, because that is what you will face in a World Cup."
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