Cape Town - Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says there are “no major surprises” amongst the 37-strong British & Irish Lions tour squad that was announced by manager Gerald Davies and head coach Ian McGeechan in London earlier on Tuesday.

The Boks coach said it is more important that his team now know exactly who they opposition will be as opposed to which players made it and which did not.

"It is a good squad, which is what we expected, based on the players who were on form in the Six Nations and understanding the type of players that Ian McGeechan was looking for."

"It is also evident that the squad has been picked on form, fitness, combinations and experience. It looks like a well-balanced and experienced group and it will be interesting to see how their Test side takes shape," the coach said.

De Villiers is not surprised that the bulk of players are from Ireland and Wales but feels the number of English players in the group is evidence of the improvement they showed in the closing stages of the Six Nations.

Paul O’Connell's captaincy

Paul O’Connell got the captaincy ahead of Brian O’ Driscoll, who was the most successful captain in the Six Nations in 2009 and captained the Lions to New Zealand four years ago, a move that has surprised De Villiers.

But De Villiers said that O’Connell's role as captain should not be taken lightly.

"Having said that, O’Connell is the captain of Munster and has also captained Ireland at test level and we will not underestimate his leadership capabilities. This is a huge accolade for Paul O’Connell and it will come with great responsibility," he added.

The Boks

Turning his focus home, the Boks camp have a few injury concerns but expect that all of the leading contenders will be fit when in June.

"We have kept a close watch on the Vodacom Super 14 and particularly the players that have formed part of our core group over the past 18 months. We may look at a few newcomers based on the consistency of performances this season," said De Villiers.

SARU have not yet confirmed the date for the South African squad announcement because they have to consider the possibility of having a team in the Super 14 final on May 30.

"One of our main concerns at this stage is the possibility of us having a team or teams in the semi-finals or final of the Super 14 which has to travel to Australasia."

"Regardless of which teams SA teams might be involved in the Super 14 final, the practice match against a Namibian Invitation XV will go ahead in Windhoek on May 29.

Meanwhile, Springbok captain John Smit said he is not surprised that the squad is dominated by players from the two teams that contested Six Nations title.

"We always expected them to pick strong and aggressive forwards, which indicates that they see the scrum and lineout as key elements of the contest."

"There is depth in every position, which is what they will need on a long and tough tour. We expect that there will be strong competition for places in all positions, which will make things interesting for us."

Smit added: "The captain Paul O’Connell is a team man who is well respected internationally and it is obvious they are trying to replicate the vibe and momentum that they had with the same coach in 1997."