Rugby: Boks open Tri-Nations with second string

SOUTH Africa confirmed a second-string rugby squad will head Down Under for the Tri-Nations, with vice-captain Victor Matfield heading a grim list of 21 players too injured to travel.

Captain John Smit and fly-half Morne Steyn were the only regular starters named in a 27-man squad yesterday for the tests in Australia and New Zealand, which come six weeks ahead of the Springboks' World Cup title defence.

Senior forwards Schalk Burger, Bakkies Botha, Andries Bekker, Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira and backs Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Butch James, Frans Steyn, Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen were among the players left out.

Prop Gurthro Steenkamp and flanker Juan Smith, who missed most of the Super 15 with long-term problems, also aren't going. First-choice No. 8 Pierre Spies, who was not among the injured players, was also missing.

Instead, six uncapped players were named to face the Wallabies in Sydney on July 23 and the All Blacks in Wellington a week later. They are Lions fly-half Elton Jantjies, Sharks scrum-half Charl McLeod, Cheetahs loose forward Ashley Johnson and props Coenie Oosthuizen of the Cheetahs, and Bulls pair Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling.

Flanker Heinrich Brussow, who has recovered from knee and rib injuries, and overseas-based players Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller are in, as well as loose forward Jean Deysel, who did not featured in South Africa's preliminary squad for 2011.

The situation has raised questions over whether South Africa was trying to rest its best players ahead of the World Cup. Australia has already sought an assurance from SANZAR, which oversees the Tri-Nations, that the Springboks' injury list is legitimate. South Africa was criticised for resting many of its top players and sending second-stringers on the away leg in the 2007 Tri-Nations. The well-rested Springboks won the World Cup in France soon after.

South Africa: Forwards: John Smit (captain), Heinrich Brussow, Jean Deysel, Dean Greyling, Alistair Hargreaves, Ryan Kankowski, Werner Kruger, Ashley Johnson, Johann Muller, Coenie Oosthuizen, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, Deon Stegmann, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe. Backs: Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Juan de Jongh, Adrian Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Patrick Lambie, Charl McLeod, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, Morne Steyn.