Rugby: South Africa World Cup squad includes shock inclusion

Uncapped halfback Rudy Paige was a shock inclusion in the South Africa Rugby World Cup squad. Photo / Getty Images.

Uncapped halfback Rudy Paige was a shock inclusion in the South Africa Rugby World Cup squad after being ignored during four warm-up matches.

The 26-year-old and 30 other players were named by coach Heyneke Meyer in Durban for the global rugby showpiece from September 18 to October 31 in England.

Paige is one of a record nine black players selected after the racial composition of the predominantly white Springboks recently became an emotive public and media issue.

National trade union umbrella body Cosatu said five unnamed blacks in the national squad complained of discrimination.

But black prop Trevor Nyakane defended the selection policy of Meyer, adding that he doubted whether any of the preliminary World Cup squad had gone to the trade union.

Forwards Tendai Mtawarira, Nyakane and Siya Kolisi and backs Zane Kirchner, JP Pietersen, Bryan Habana, Lwazi Mvovo and Damian de Allende are the other blacks going to England.

"Cutting the squad to 31 was probably the most difficult selection I have faced in my coaching career," Meyer said after the announcement. "We had to give consideration to utility players such as Schalk Brits and Pieter-Steph du Toit, both of whom can play in the back row.

"Coenie Oosthuizen can pack down on both sides of the front row.

"A number of our backs, such as JP, Ruan, Patrick, Handre, Damian, Jesse, Lwazi and Zane are comfortable playing in more than one position.

"I think the squad has a great balance between youth and experience, keeping together the core of the team that did the country proud in the last few years. "We also have a number of players who know what it takes to win a World Cup and their knowledge will be invaluable.

"We are going to England with the hopes of the nation on our shoulders and we would truly like the to make our nation proud, but are under no illusions about how tough it will be."

The inclusion of Paige comes after he watched from the stands as the Springboks played Argentina twice, Australia and world champions New Zealand during July and August, losing three of the four tests.

Paige was effectively the fourth choice halfback behind injured Fourie du Preez, Ruan Pienaar and Cobus Reinach. Pienaar started each match and Reinach was used off the bench, only to be dropped for the World Cup.

Du Preez, among nine survivors of the 2007 World Cup-winning squad, got the nod in a remarkable show of faith by Meyer given the halfback last played in February this year.
Skipper and inside centre Jean de Villiers and No 8 Duane Vermeulen are other players who have had fitness issues and will be on the plane to England.

De Villiers completed a miraculous recovery from a knee injury only to break his jaw on his Test comeback in a humiliating home defeat by Argentina.

Vermeulen, a powerful ball-carrier who epitomises the physicality of the Springbok pack, underwent neck surgery after a mid-year injury failed to heal.

Meyer said every player in the squad is expected to be fit for the opening match against Japan on September 19. Samoa, Scotland and the United States are the other Pool C countries.

Squad:
Forwards: Willem Alberts, Schalk Brits, Schalk Burger, Lood de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Adriaan Strauss, Duane Vermeulen.

Backs: Jean de Villiers (captain), Damian De Allende, Fourie du Preez, Bryan Habana, Zane Kirchner, Jesse Kriel, Patrick Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lwazi Mvovo, Rudy Paige, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Handre Pollard, Morne Steyn.