Johannesburg - The players selected for his World XV squad against the Springboks next weekend are a mixture of international stars and South African non-internationals, coach Nick Mallett said on Monday.
“As well as assigning an international flavour to the World XV squad, it was also decided by the coaching and management team, to give both a number of international and on form non-international South African club players the opportunity to play in the Test Arena against the Springboks,” the former Springbok coach said.
Wallabies Matt Giteau, James O’Connor and Drew Mitchell, and All Blacks Hosea Gear, Carl Hayman, Andrew Hore and Jimmy Cowan are all included in the World XV’s 23-man squad to play South Africa at Newlands on Saturday.
Joining them will be French Top 14 highest point’s scorer Francois Trinh-Duc and back row forward Alexandre Lapandry.
Five players from Toulon’s double winning European Cup and French Top 14 side will also feature in the squad, including Steffon Armitage from England, who was recently voted European player of the year.
World XV team:
Backs: James O’Connor (London Irish, Australia - 44 Test caps), Drew Mitchell (Toulon, Australia - 63), Hosea Gear (Toulouse, New Zealand - 14), Sititiveni Sivivatu (Clermont, New Zealand - 45), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont, France - 71), Rene Ranger (Montpelier, New Zealand - 6), Matt Giteau (Toulon, Australia - 92), François Trinh-Duc (Montpelier, France - 48), Rory Kockott (Castres, South Africa - uncapped) and Jimmy Cowan (Gloucester, New Zealand - 51).
Forwards: Steffon Armitage (Toulon, England - 5 Test caps), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont, France - 6), Roger Wilson (Ulster, Ireland - 1), Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier, Georgia - 51), Alistair Hargreaves (Saracens, South Africa - 4), Joe Tekori (Toulouse, Samoa - 26), Juandré Kruger (Racing Metro, South Africa - 17), Schalk Brits (Saracens, South Africa - 5), Andrew Hore (New Zealand - 83), Schalk Ferreira (Toulouse, South Africa - uncapped), Sona
Taumololo (Perpignan, Tonga - 5), BJ Botha (Munster, South Africa - 25) and Carl Hayman (Toulon, New Zealand - 45).
Sapa