Are the Boks being French-fried?
This is one for the conspiracy theorists. This weekend there will be no French-based players in the Springbok team, while Wales will have five in their matchday squad.
The Springbok camp has tactfully sidestepped the issue of why French clubs have allowed their players to play for the Welsh national team in a Test match taking place outside the newly-renamed World Rugby's window for international matches.
At the same time the Boks have been denied the same privilege.
In fact on Thursday it was confirmed that a request was made by the Boks for Toulouse scrumhalf Jano Vermaak to rejoin the squad, but it was rejected as he is playing for his club this weekend.
There has been no formal explanation forthcoming, leaving room for speculation that it is a deliberate ploy to get another Northern Hemisphere win over a Southern Hemisphere powerhouse ahead of next year's World Cup.
The Boks have been denied the services of seven players, five of those based in France, for Saturday's encounter at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Johan Goosen (Racing Metro), Bryan Habana (Toulon), Jano Vermaak (Toulouse), Gurthrö Steenkamp (Toulouse) and Morné Steyn (Stade Francais) had to return to their clubs. The Boks are also without Japan-based utility back JP Pietersen and loose forward Schalk Burger.
Wales, in stark contrast, named Leigh Halfpenny (Toulon), Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), Luke Charteris (Racing Metro) and Mike Phillips (Racing Metro) in their matchday squad.
In September this year, during the Rugby Championship, Toulon boss Mourad Boudjellal spat the dummy when he had a bad run of injuries and threatened to "tear up" the contracts of Habana and Bakkies Botha (who last week retired from Test rugby).
At the time Boudjellal also threatened Halfpenny and even suggested he would take the IRB (now World Rugby) to court to challenge them over the law that forces clubs to release players to their nationals teams during 'international windows'.
Saturday's match falls outside that window, but the Welsh players – including Halfpenny – have been made available. The Boks have not!
Bok coach Heyneke was at his tactful best when asked about the forced changes and the absence of players based in France and Japan.
He described it as "a great opportunity" for the players still in the squad.
"Only three players this year have played in all our games, where last year we had 10 [to feature in every Test]," Meyer said in Cardiff, ahead of Saturday's outing.
"There are 25 players not available, due to injuries or other external factors.
"It is a great testament to our depth, to be able to still put out a side like this. It is a great side and there are a lot of youngsters who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to play.
"They have been waiting for this opportunity and this is a chance to show they can step up."
Meyer described the tour as "a test of character" for the national team, because it is the first time they have been on a four-Test tour since he took over in 2012.
"We will play against a very strong Welsh side," he said, adding: "It will be a big test of our character and depth."
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