South Africa boosted for home rugby Tests

23 Sep 2012, 6:33 am   -   Source: AAP

South Africa will be boosted by the return from injury of several players for the Rugby Championship home games against Australia and New Zealand.

South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer added three rising stars and a veteran to his Rugby Championship squad for home matches against Australia and New Zealand.

Golden Lions full-back-cum-centre Jaco Taute gets a first call-up after missing most of the Super season through injury and team-mate and fly-half Elton Jantjies is recalled.

Prop Coenie Oosthuizen, who can play loosehead or tighthead, is another player returning to the Springbok squad after injury and 2007 Rugby World Cup winner CJ van der Linde also gets the nod.

South Africa, who beat and drew with southern hemisphere championship new boys Argentina before losing in Australia and New Zealand, host the Wallabies on September 29 in Pretoria and the All Blacks on October 6 in Soweto.

World champions New Zealand have won four matches on the trot and can clinch the title with a victory in Argentina next weekend, leaving South Africa and Australia to scrap for second place.

"I wanted to include Jaco in the squad earlier, but an untimely injury meant we could not select him. Jaco is big, strong, fast and versatile and it will be good to get him involved," said Meyer.

"Elton was part of the squad this season against England in June and in the first part of the Rugby Championship. He only missed out when we had to cut the numbers of the squad and it is good to have him back.

"It is great to have Coenie back with us after he picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England in June. He is a world-class prop and losing him was a big setback."

The inclusion of injury-prone Golden Lion Van der Linde was a surprise with Meyer justifying the choice on the grounds of experience and ability to scrum either side of the hooker.

South Africa squad

Backs: Jean de Villiers (capt), Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Juan de Jongh, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Steyn, Morne Steyn, Jaco Taute

Forwards: Willem Alberts, Andries Bekker, Craig Burden, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Tiaan Liebenberg, CJ van der Linde, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Jacques Potgieter, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen

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