Victor Matfield admits the recent spate of injuries that has struck South Africa is far from ideal, but is adamant the squad has enough depth to overcome Ireland.

IRELAND coach Declan Kidney yesterday refused to be drawn into the IRFU ticketing debate but said his side has a bigger responsibility than ever to perform, no matter how many people turn up at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday.

Prop Gurthro Steenkamp has been named the South African Player of the Year for 2010.

South Africa were dealt a major blow today after experienced flanker Schalk Burger and rookie centre Juan de Jongh were both ruled out of the Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland that starts this week.

Blue Bulls centre Wynand Olivier has been ruled out of South Africa’s year-end grand slam tour due to a groin injury.

SPRINGBOK coach Peter de Villiers has named 11 uncapped players in his preliminary 39-man training squad for their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

South Africa head coach Peter de Villiers has named 11 uncapped players in his preliminary 39-man training squad for their Grand Slam tour of Britain and Ireland.

Allister Coetzee insists there is no truth in reports of a planned coup involving himself and Jake White aimed at toppling national coach Peter de Villiers.

Front row pair BJ Botha and Tendai Mtawarira are among five player that have been dropped from the South Africa squad to face New Zealand in their Tri Nations encounter in Johannesburg on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND centre Conrad Smith believes New Zealand are putting the foundations in place for their latest tilt at ending their recent World Cup hoodoo.

Peter de Villiers has been given a vote of confidence by his employers at the South African Rugby Union and assured that his job is safe.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has rung the changes ahead of Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has rung the changes ahead of Saturday’s Tri Nations clash with Australia at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made two enforced changes for the second Tri Nations Test in Wellington on Saturday as his team look to make amends for their humbling loss to New Zealand.

NEW ZEALAND coach Graham Henry knows only too well the pressures that coaching Wales can bring and can probably empathise with the situation Warren Gatland finds himself in heading into Saturday’s final Test between the two countries.

Bath back Butch James has been formally withdrawn from South Africa’s line-up for their clash against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

John Smit and Victor Matfield are among a group of 10 players to be awarded national contracts by the South African Rugby Union that will run until next year’s World Cup.

CAN it really get any better than this for Ireland?

Ireland 15 South Africa 10

Ireland bring down the curtain on their autumn internationals with one eye on avenging the Lions’ Test series defeat by South Africa.

South Africa have suffered a setback ahead of today’s autumn Test against Ireland with the withdrawal of lock Bakkies Botha.

Rob Kearney has warned South Africa that Ireland are ready to match them in the physicality stakes at Croke Park tomorrow.

BIGGER THAN the Lions, and bigger than the Tri-Nations decider. That’s how the visiting World Cup champion Springboks are looking at tomorrow’s clash with Ireland in Croke Park, according to assistant coach Gary Gold, who said yesterday that he “had not encountered anything as big as the build-up to Saturday . . . the pressure and expectations are bigger than they were before the first Lions Test in Durban or that final Tri-Nations clash in Hamilton.”

South Africa have made six changes for Saturday’s test at Croke Park against Ireland.

AUSTRALIA have made just one change to their starting XV for Saturday’s autumn international against Scotland.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made four changes from the team beaten by France last weekend for Saturday’s clash with Italy in Udine.

Saracens 24 South Africa 23

JP Pietersen and Andries Bekker are to return home from Australia after sustaining injuries during South Africa’s 32-25 Tri-Nations victory over the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers has backed Jaque Fourie to fill the void created by the loss of centre Adi Jacobs for the Springboks’ Tri-Nations opener against New Zealand on Saturday.

Coach Peter de Villiers has scoffed at suggestions that he might be a weakness in South Africa’s armoury.

Peter de Villiers has named three uncapped players in his South African XV to face a Namibian Invitational XV in Windhoek on Friday.

CONRAD JANTJES leads a worrying injury list for South Africa ahead of next month’s British and Irish Lions tour to the country.

Conrad Jantjes leads a mounting injury list for South Africa ahead of next month’s British and Irish Lions tour to the country.

Bakkies Botha has been named in a full-strength South Africa XV for Saturday’s Test against Wales in Cardiff.

South Africa 53 Australia 8

South Africa 43 Wales 17

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers handed debuts to two players, but left out World Cup stars Victor Matfield, Percy Montgomery and Francois Steyn from his team to face Wales in the first Test at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers insists the world champions will be ready for a “forward onslaught” from Wales when the Test series begins on Saturday in Bloemfontein.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers sprang several surprises when naming his 30-man squad for the Tests against Wales and Italy next month.

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has named 12 uncapped players in his first squad since taking charge of the Springboks earlier this year.