Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has taken a huge gamble by retaining only one flyhalf in his reduced 24-man squad for the one-off Test against Argentina on Saturday and the three home Tri-Nations Tests the following three weeks.
There is no back-up should Butch James, who is battling with his form, be injured during a Test. Both Ruan Pienaar and Frans Steyn, the two versatile backs who could have fulfilled this role, have been released to the Sharks.
Veteran fullback Percy Montgomery has represented the Springboks at flyhalf, but it will be a gamble to do so again in the three must-win Tri-Nations Tests.
Jaque Fourie, the Lions centre whose inclusion in the Springbok training squad was criticised as his provincial coach Eugene Eloff felt he was not yet fit for international duty, has also been retained in the smaller 24-man squad confirmed by the Springbok management on Sunday.
Fourie is one of three players in the group who didn’t tour Australasia. The others are scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, also back from injury, and wing Jongi Nokwe.
The starting prop in the losing Test against the Wallabies, Gurthro Steenkamp, is another who has been released. The front row has been a contentious selection to date and has seen five combinations start in six Tests. Saturday’s Test will see it become six combinations in seven starts.
The fourth player who has been released for Currie Cup rugby is Odwa Ndungane.
The 24-man squad will be further reduced as De Villiers wants only 22 players to work with for the upcoming four Tests. As it now stands, six of the 22 players for the Test against the Wallabies have been omitted from the squad in what is another indication that De Villiers is still uncertain who his best combination is.
The three injured players from the Australasian Tests, Bryan Habana, Adi Jacobs and Schalk Burger, have been included in the squad. — Sapa
The squad
Backs: Conrad Jantjes, Percy Montgomery, JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana, Jongi Nokwe, Jean de Villiers, Adi Jacobs, Jaque Fourie, Butch James, Ricky January, Fourie du Preez.
Forwards: Pierre Spies, Joe van Niekerk, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Luke Watson, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Bismarck du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Tendai Mtwarira, Brian Mujati.