Johannesburg - The Springbok squad to face Wales in a one-off Test in Cardiff on Saturday, June 5 was cleared to tour ahead of their departure for the United Kingdom.

There were a few minor scares after the weekend’s bruising Super 14 final between the Bulls and Stormers with lock Andries Bekker (foot) and centre Juan de Jongh (bruised thigh) undergoing scans on Sunday morning. The medical team is optimistic that they will be ready to play on Saturday.

Three of the five overseas-based players in the squad – Frans Steyn, Butch James and BJ Botha – assembled in Johannesburg whilst CJ van der Linde and Joe van Niekerk will join up with the squad on arrival in the UK.

“All the players are ready to tour,” said Bok coach Peter de Villiers.

“We have a short and intense week but it’s a challenge we are looking forward to. Some of the management team is already in Wales to make sure that everything is in place for us to hit the ground running when we arrive,” he said.

The players were kitted out on Sunday morning and looked in good spirits ahead of departure.

The two newcomers - wing Gio Aplon and flank Francois Louw - were excited at the prospect of making their Test debuts at the Millennium Stadium.

“It’s a dream come true and I am looking forward to it,” said Aplon. “This is a new challenge altogether and it will be a big moment in my career”.

Louw described his selection as “amazing”. “It’s fantastic. It is great to be included and I am ready for the hard work that is ahead this week”.

Teams:

Wales:
TBA

South Africa:

15. Frans Steyn, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Jaque Fourie, 12. Butch James, 11. Odwa Ndungane, 10. Ruan Pienaar, 9. Ricky Januarie, 8. Joe van Niekerk, 7. Dewald Potgieter, 6. Francois Louw, 5. Andries Bekker, 4. Danie Rossouw, 3. BJ Botha, 2. John Smit (captain), 1. CJ van der Linde

Substitutes: 16. Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17. Jannie du Plessis, 18. Alistair Hargreaves, 19. Ryan Kankowski, 20. Meyer Bosman, 21. Juan de Jongh, 22. Bjorn Basson