South Africa v Australia, Durban, August 13
Springboks delay team naming
ESPNscrum Staff
August 9, 2011
South Africa's Pierre Spies and coach Peter de Villiers share a joke, South Africa training, Florida Park, Cape Town, South Africa, July 8, 2011
Pierre Spies is a doubt for South Africa's clash with the Wallabies on Saturday © Getty Images
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Tournaments/Tours: Tri Nations

South Africa boss Peter de Villiers has opted to delay naming his side to face Australia on Saturday due to injury concerns over Pierre Spies and Danie Rossouw.

Spies is carrying a groin problem and is a doubt for the Tri-Nations clash in Durban, while Rossouw has been placed on a drip in recent days due to illness. Both players trained on Tuesday, with the Bok camp keen to monitor their reactions.

De Villiers will now name his side on Thursday, having called up Ryan Kankowski and Ashley Johnson as further loose-forward cover, along with the fit-again Heinrich Brussow.

"We need a little time to confirm one or two positions and assess a couple of the players," De Villiers said. "Both Pierre and Danie ran today but we'll wait and see if there was any reaction."

A number of Rugby World Cup winners - including locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha - are set to return to the starting XV after a below-strength Springbok selection was overrun by the Wallabies and All Blacks in the opening two rounds of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Springboks have drafted in Western Province defence coach Jacques Nienaber as a consultant on a short-term basis.

"We all know the importance of defence at Rugby World Cup tournaments and we had long planned to bring in a defence specialist to add to our coaching team," De Villiers said. "We have wanted to add Jacques for a while and I'd like to thank Western Province for releasing him to us on a short-term basis."

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