Former Springbok coach Andre Markgraaff is set to take up a fulltime role with the national squad within the next couple of weeks, while Jake White is also being earmarked for a return to the management team.

National coach Harry Viljoen has stressed he wants to blend the traditional forward power of the South Africans with an exciting ball-in-hand approach and the appointment of Markgraaff will go a long way towards achieving the forward dominance needed.

It is thought that White is being earmarked for a similar role, although Viljoen will first have to persuade the Natal Rugby Union to let him go.

The coach last week named a 32-man group to attend a workshop in Cape Town in a bid to retain continuity within the squad. This will give the likes of Markgraaff and White the chance to work with the forwards earlier than they have in the past.

"We want to incorporate our traditional strengths with the way the game has developed and get something that is uniquely South African," Viljoen told the Cape Times. "This is a Bok team, not one that should try and emulate Australia or New Zealand's style.

"Andre added a hard edge to our forwards. We got momentum going in patches, but we still have a lot to do."

Despite his inclination for the running game, Viljoen added he would like to see the Boks make more use of tactical kicking. "What I learnt from the northern hemisphere is how much we are lacking in terms of tactical kicking.

"For them, it's not an act of desperation. They turned it into an art and kick with genuine purpose. That's what we need to coach our players to do. You have to know why you're kicking the ball and be sure that you'll get it back.

"(But) the cornerstone is keeping the ball in hand and at the same time not throwing away our traditional strengths," he added.