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Kabamba Floors has been dropped from the Springbok squad to accommodate Luke Watson. And Derick Hougaard has also been added.
Bok coach Jake White was forced to back down on his stance with Luke Watson and include him in a 38-man squad that will prepare for the season’s first five test matches.
Watson was not part of the original Bok squad of 45, but political interference ensured he was added as number 46. Now he has made a trimmed squad, with White unable to beat off the influence of the government or SARU’s leadership.
The leadership, headed up by Oregan Hoskins, Mike Stofile and Koos Basson, rejected White’s shortened squad on Saturday night. Watson was not in that squad. He is now in the squad and this website’s information is that he has to play in the test side in the course of the next five weeks.
White had initially picked three openside flankers in Schalk Burger, Wikus van Heerden and Floors, who started in the Boks victory against England at Twickenham. Watson was then added.
Now Watson is in ahead of Floors, who has now found out that he is not black enough to make the Bok squad. Being good enough was not a criteria.
Breyton Paulse was also given the boot to accommodate Sharks winger Odwa Ndungane. Other players originally selected to miss out are Tonderai Chavhanga, Eddie Andrews, Jaco Pretorius, Bevin Fortuin and Gerrie Britz.
All the Sharks and Bulls players, selected a week ago, have remained in the squad. They will undergo testing on Monday morning. AJ Venter will only be available for the second test as he is getting married this week.
Andre Pretorius and Jaques Fourie have been ruled out of the first test against England because of injury.
Bok squad (as released in this order by SARU)
1 Botha Gary
2 Botha Bakkies
3 du Preez Fourie
4 Habana Bryan
5 Julies Wayne
6 Matfield Victor
7 Ndungane Akona
8 Olivier Wynand
9 Rossouw Danie
10 Spies Pierre
11 Steenkamp Gurthro
12 van Heerden Wikus
13 Ackermann Johan
14 Botha BJ
15 Carstens Deon
16 du Plessis Bismarck
17 James Butch
18 Montgomery Percy
19 Muller Johann
20 Murray Waylon
21 Ndungane Odwa
22 Pienaar Ruan
23 Pietersen JP
24 Skinstad Bob
25 Smit John
26 Steyn Francois
27 van den Berg Albert
28 Venter AJ
29 Du Randt Os
30 Van der Linde CJ
31 Smith Juan
32 Burger Schalk
33 Van Niekerk Joe
34 Watson Luke
35 Willemse Ashwin
36 Januarie Ricky
37 De Villiers Jean
38 Hougaard Derick
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