KEY POINTS:
CAPE TOWN - Springbok coach Jake White named a predictable 30-man squad for the Rugby World Cup in France on Sunday (NZ time).
Hooker John Smit will lead an experienced group boasting 833 caps between them.
There are no uncapped players in the squad and all its members have played for the Springboks at least once in 2007.
The selectors chose to go with 16 forwards and 14 backs for the tournament, which starts on September 7.
"It's an exciting mix of players many of whom have been together since I started my career as head coach of the Springboks," said White.
"I have great confidence in these players. They will carry the flag for the nation during the tournament with pride."
However, South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins expressed disappointment at the number of black players chosen and said administrators must improve efforts to ensure more black players go to the 2011 World Cup.
The squad contains six black players, the same amount as the 2003 World Cup squad, although White has capped 23 black players in his four years in charge.
"Quite frankly, we've made very little progress since the last World Cup," Hoskins said.
"That was the reason for the call to say that the planning for the next World Cup starts now.
"All of us agree that the work has got to be done at the bottom and not at the top. We've been doing it the wrong way around to make the task of the national coach and selectors easier.
"The lack of progress is not the national coach's fault, I think it's the administrators who are at fault and we have to take responsibility for that. I look forward to 2011 if we do our homework and I believe we will."
SQUAD
Backs: Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Butch James, Ricky January, Percy Montgomery, Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Andre Pretorius, Francois Steyn, Ashwin Willemse.
Forwards: Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Gary Botha, Schalk Burger, Os du Randt, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Bob Skinstad, John Smit (captain), Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthro Steenkamp, Albert van den Berg, CJ van der Linde, Wikus van Heerden.
- REUTERS
