Scotland 21 South Africa 17

SOUTH AFRICA hope that a turbulent week, which began with two players being sent home for failing drugs tests, will end with their Grand Slam mission three-quarters complete later today.

WINGER Bryan Habana’s fractured a bone in his hand during training and will take no further part in South Africa’s tour of Britain and Ireland.

South Africa have made three changes to the starting XV, with one positional switch, for Saturday’s Test against Scotland at Murrayfield.

SOUTH AFRICA coach Peter de Villiers is investigating the whole Springbok squad amid fears they may have taken a supplement which led to positive drug tests for two of their players.

South Africa duo Bjorn Basson and Chiliboy Ralepelle are to be sent home from the tour of Britain and Ireland after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

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.

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.

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.

SO there we were sipping coffee in the Burlington Hotel lobby yesterday, waiting for the Springbok press conference to start. Wondering if we had the hotel right.

South Africa captain Chiliboy Ralepelle admits the team’s new players will have to learn the harsh lessons of international tours after their humbling by Guinness Premiership champions Leicester.

South Africa 9 British and Irish Lions 28

SPRINGBOKS coach Peter de Villiers yesterday accused sections of the British and Irish Lions travelling press of trying to whip up unnecessary controversy during the current tour.

SOUTH Africa assistant coach Gary Gold has revealed Schalk Burger was always going to be in the starting line-up for the series against the British and Irish Lions as long as he was fit.

Schalk Burger returns to the starting line-up for South Africa when they take on the British and Irish Lions in the second Test match in Pretoria on Saturday.

FORMER New Zealand winger Stu Wilson has hailed the performances of the Australia backline ahead of the Bledisloe Cup triple header, claiming the Wallabies are favourites.

Ireland Under-19s face the daunting task of meeting host nation South Africa in the IRB World Cup in Pietermaritzburg this afternoon.