Unlikely Bok tourists in squad

WITH up to 15 players who did duty in the Rugby Championship unavailable for the tour match against the Barbarians at Wembley on November 5, expect a few unlikely Springbok tourists to make the squad when it is named today.

As the match against the Baabaas falls outside the Test window, none of the Boks’ overseas-based players will be available to coach Allister Coetzee, meaning all of Willem Alberts, Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Steven Kitshoff, Morné Steyn, Willie le Roux, Francois Hougaard, Francois Louw, Vincent Koch, Jaco Kriel, Franco Mostert, Warren Whiteley, Lionel Mapoe and Elton Jantjies will be missing.

Also, lock Lood de Jager, who copped a one-match ban after his dangerous “cleanout” against the All Blacks in Durban a few weeks ago, will miss the Baabaas game.

And Louw, who picked up a hamstring injury playing for Bath recently, will miss the whole tour, opening the door for Jaco Kriel to make his first start in a Bok jersey.

The big question ahead of the naming of the tour squad – which in fact will be two squads, one for the Baabaas game and one for the Tests against England, Italy and Wales – is who’ll fill in for the overseas-based Boks against the Baabaas.

With both first-choice flyhalves out, Pat Lambie is almost sure to get a run at 10 again after earlier playing at fullback, but it is understood Coetzee has also been impressed with Niel Marais of the Cheetahs and the Bulls’ Tiaan Schoeman, who is favourite to get a look-in.

Marais’ Cheetahs teammates Sergeal Petersen, captain Francois Venter and prop Ox Nche are also believed to be in the squad, possibly for all four tour