Smit on sideline as Boks train

But notably absent from the warm-up, standing in his tracksuit while his team-mates warmed up with biokineticist Neels Liebel was captain John Smit, who did not take part in the training session.

The team are on a four-day camp to prepare for the historic game at Soccer City – the first Test match in Soweto and also coincides with Smit’s 100th game.

According to team spokesperson Anthony MacKaiser, several players were on the sidelines with niggles, and therefore did not take part in the session. No mention was made if Smit has an injury or if he was just rested.

Having said that, Smit walked on the field in his tracksuit as his team-mates warmed up, and didn’t look concerned or hampered by any injury. He also didn’t sit among the walking wounded on the side of the pitch, but was actively engaged with coach Peter de Villiers throughout.

Still, with some commentators expressing views on Smit's fitness, it was a surprising move on the first day of the camp.

Team sources say according to the GPS tracking devices Smit is fit and does more than his fair share of work. His ball carries on the recent Tri-Nation away leg were second only to Pierre Spies in the team but he did miss a fair share of tackles.

Among these were props BJ Botha and Jannie du Plessis, Loose forwards Ryan Kankowski and Juan Smith. Injured duo Fourie du Preez and Heinrich Brüssow were also interested observers at the session.

Du Preez, who is out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury, was not part of an invited group of players announced on Sunday, but rather joined the team, according to Mackaiser, as “an observer”.

“Fourie was here to give his insights into the past few games and to make a few suggestions of his own.” But his presence, as well as that of Brüssow, confirms that this training camp will lay down the blueprint for the next year leading up to the World Cup in New Zealand.

Bismarck du Plessis, who returned to action on the weekend, was running along with his team-mates. The Springbok management allowed a half an hour for photographers, but then asked the media to leave as the fitness session got into gear.

The squad will be cut from 29 to 24 at the end of the week.