New Bulls coach Heyneke Meyer on Monday announced a squad of 50 players who will start preparing for next year's Super 12 soon and it seems the embattled region is going to have to rely a lot on the goodwill from the other coaches to strengthen them in certain positions.

There are only two tighthead props in the squad, with Piet Boer the only one with Super 12 experience. The relatively unknown Pierre du Toit from the Leopards is the other tighthead prop in the squad at the moment.

The four Super 12 coaches will on Thursday meet with national coach Harry Viljoen to discuss the composition of their squads and it can be taken as a given that Meyer will alert them to his crisis at tighthead.

Meyer is also the assistant coach to the Springboks and is currently with the team in Johannesburg where they are preparing for the tour of Europe and the United States.

Nel Fourie from the Pumas is an interesting inclusion at flyhalf, as rumour has it that he has accepted an offer to play for the Lions for the following three years. Wylie Human (pictured) has been included in the squad despite a statement last week from Free State that they will try to retain the quick wing's services for the Free State Cheetahs and the Cats.

Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen is also in the squad despite his contractual differences with the Blue Bulls, alongside fellow Blue Bulls Coenraad Groenewald and Norman Jordaan. The Falcons' new Springbok Deon de Kock and Hakkies Husselman are the other No 9s.

The exclusion of strong Griquas centre Dries Scholtz is a bit of a surprise, as the Blue Bulls recently announced that he has signed with them for 2002. His midfield shouldn't pose too big a problem for Meyer, as new Springbok Adrian Botha and Falcons centre partner Ettienne Botha, Frikkie Welsh and Tiaan Joubert are all capable of making a success of the job.

The squad looks competitive in most positions, but the front row, especially tighthead prop and hooker, and the loose-forwards need to be bolstered by an international class player or two.

The Blue Bulls (BB) have the strongest representation with 30 players, followed by the Pumas (Pum) with 11, Falcons (Fal) with seven and the Leopards (Leo) with two players.

Bulls squad:

BACKS: Scrumhalves: Joost van der Westhuizen (BB), Deon de Kock (Fal), Hakkies Husselman (P), Norman Jordaan (BB), Coenraad Groenewald (BB); Flyhalves: Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Boeta Wessels (BB), Nel Fourie (Pum); Inside centres: Adrian Jacobs (Fal), JP Nel, Tiaan Joubert (BB); Outside centres: Ettienne Botha (Fal), Frikkie Welsh (BB), Marius Schoeman (Pum); Left wings: Gavin Passens (BB), Jacques Juries, Jan-Harm van Wyk (Pum); Right wings: Wylie Human, Giscard Pieters, McNeil Hendricks (BB); Fullbacks: Johan Roets, Hannes Venter, Casper Steyn (BB), Dawie du Toit (Fal), Marius Goosen (Pum).

FORWARDS: Loosehead props: Wessel Roux, Sias Wagner (BB), Christo Bezuidenhout (Pum); Hookers: Danie Coetzee, Jannie Brooks, Richard Bands (BB), Henry Kemp (P), Skipper Badenhorst (Fal). Tighthead props: Piet Boer (BB), Pierre du Toit (Leo); Locks: Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Matt Frank (BB), Marco Wentzel (P), Wilhelm Stoltz (Leo); Flanks: Danie Rossouw, Johan Wasserman, Piet Joubert (BB), Nicky van der Walt, Lodewyk Hattingh (Fal), Pierre Uys, Frans Allers (Pum); No 8s: Anton Leonard, Schutte Bekker, Chris le Roux (BB).