Uncapped Boks trio given chance to impress

PETER DE VILLIERS has named three uncapped players in his South African XV to face a Namibian Invitational XV in Windhoek tomorrow.

Lions utility man Earl Rose will play in the full-back position, Western Province’s Morgan Newman will start at outside centre and Sharks loose forward Jean Deysel has been named on the flank.

A further three uncapped players – prop Wian du Preez (Cheetahs), lock Steven Sykes (Sharks) and scrum-half Jano Vermaak (Lions) – have been named on the bench for the game, which will serve as a warm-up for the Test series against the British and Irish Lions.

No Bulls players are in the team due to the Pretoria franchise playing in the Super 14 final against the Chiefs at the weekend.

On Monday, De Villiers will name his final squad to face the Lions in the first Test in Durban on June 20.

Meanwhile the Royal XV coach Chaka Willemse expects a strong physical threat from the Lions. Willemse has named a team containing 11 members of the Vodacom Cup-winning Griquas side under the captaincy of prop Wilhelm Koch.

The other four players in the team that will run out at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace come from the Platinum Leopards.

Willemse gave preference to players with Super 14 experience, with Naas Olivier, Sarel Pretorius, Bjorn Basson, Bees Roux (all Cheetahs) and Deon van Rensburg (Lions), all of whom played regularly at Super 14 level this season set to start. A capacity 60,000 is expected at Coca-Cola Park, with 90% sold.

South Africa XV: E Rose; J Nokwe, M Newman, M Bosman, O Ndungane; P Grant, R Januarie; R Kankowski, J Deysel, H Brussow, A Bekker, J Muller, J Smit, B du Plessis, T Mtawarira.

Replacements: A Strauss, W du Preez, S Sykes, J Smith, S Burger, J Vermaak, J de Villiers, A Jacobs, JP Pietersen.

Royal XV (v Lions): R Jeacocks; E Seconds, D van Rensburg, H Coetzee, B Basson; N Olivier, S Pretorius; J Mokuena, D Raubenheimer, W Koch, J Lombaard, R Mathee, B Roux, R Barnes, A Buckle.

Replacements: P van der Westhuizen, S Roberts, R Landman, RW Kember, J Coetzee, R Viljoen, J Bowles.

ENGLAND (v Barbarians, Twickenham, Saturday): D Armitage; B Foden, J Noon, J Turner-Hall, M Banahan; A Goode, D Care; T Payne, D Hartley, D Wilson, S Borthwick (capt), L Deacon, C Robshaw, L Moody, N Easter.

Replacements: S Thompson, N Wood, C Jones, S Armitage, J Haskell, P Hodgson, T May.

BARBARIANS (v England): B Blair (New Zealand), D Howlett (New Zealand), J Lewsey (England), G D’Arcy (Ireland), I Balshaw (England), G Jackson (New Zealand), 9-J Marshall (New Zealand); C Dermody (New Zealand), S Brits (South Africa), G Somerville (New Zealand), M Corry (England), C Jack (New Zealand), J Collins (New Zealand), S Betsen (France), R Elsom (Australia).