30/04/2008 10:21

Gavin Rich

Overseas-based South African players shouldn't hold their breath when the new national squad is announced on the weekend of the last league matches of the Super 14 season.

At the moment the date for the announcement is set for May 16/17, with a national training camp due to start on May 18 in Bloemfontein. South African Rugby Union (Saru) president Oregan Hoskins said last week the ban on overseas players has been lifted, but Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has expressed reluctance to select players not performing in the Super 14.

In an interview, De Villiers pointed to a regulation imposed by the board of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd which is still in place which prevents a Springbok coach from calling up more than three overseas based players at any one time.

That means at least one of the four players who were part of the Bok starting line-up in the World Cup final who are now campaigning overseas are going to miss out. With John Smit already announced as captain, it would appear Butch James, Victor Matfield and Percy Montgomery will have to fight it out for the other two potential spots.

But there might not even be two spots, for De Villiers has hinted that there may not even be as many as three. De Villiers is convinced that enough South African players have put up their hands in the Super 14 and are deserving of selection for the looming home Test matches against Wales and Italy.

"Even if I wanted to choose a whole lot of overseas based players, I cannot make that decision. The board ruling is that there should be a maximum of three, and I intend adhering to it. There may not even be as many as three because there are a lot of youngsters playing well," said De Villiers.

Initially De Villiers spoke a great deal about continuity and the need to keep the team that won the World Cup together, but now it seems he is leaning away from that line.

What is clear is that he definitely won't be encouraging South African players to continue their careers overseas, and only the truly outstanding individuals based in Europe can expect to be considered for national selection while he is coach.

"The players are adults, and if they want to leave then that is their right. They must take responsibility for what they do. If players are allowed to just leave the country willy-nilly and then still be selected for the Springboks, then a lot of other players will leave. And then what will we be left with? It is a player's right to leave, but he has to realise his decision will have repercussions."

De Villiers confirmed that he is man alone as he prepares for the arrival of the Welsh in the first week of June. He is still unclear on who his fellow national selectors will be, so he is working on his own when it comes to selection, and his two assistant coaches, expected to be Dick Muir and Gary Gold, are still committed to the Super 14.

He hopes that the rest of his management team will be finalised within the next two weeks.

"Dick is overseas at the moment with the Sharks so obviously we are having a bit of difficulty tying up a few contractual nitty-gritties, but I don't anticipate any problems," said De Villiers, who also confirmed that his assistants will have a far greater say in the selection of his team than Gert Smal and Allister Coetzee had under Jake White.