Heyneke Meyer says he will give other players game time against the Wallabies in Brisbane, following the announcement of a 31-man touring squad.
The squad consists of 22 players who did duty against the World XV. The only member of the match-day squad to stay behind in South Africa is Jean de Villiers, who has been released to Western Province to get game time in their Currie Cup warm-up matches in the next fortnight.
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,' said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
'We’ll re-assess the minor bumps and bruises when we get to Brisbane on Monday evening [Australian time]. 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.'
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. 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.
Springbok squad:
Forwards – Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Marcell Coetzee, Lood de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Oupa Mohoje, Beast Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss, Heinke van der Merwe, Warren Whiteley.
Backs – Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Jesse Kriel, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Jan Serfontein, Morné Steyn.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
