WARREN GATLAND yesterday questioned the mixed messages emerging from the South African camp ahead of Saturday's opening Test in Bloemfontein.

The Springboks' head coach, Peter de Villiers, has been causing confusion by issuing conflicting predictions on what tactics Wales will use after selecting Stephen Jones at outhalf.

Gatland is confused by De Villiers's changing views and noted his ambition for the world champions to run the Grand Slam winners "off their feet".

"I can't quite put my finger on what Peter's been saying. He's been saying one thing in the paper one day and another the next," said Gatland.

"I can't get a handle on the comments he's making in terms of what he's expecting from us. We know how we're going to play against South Africa. What will be interesting is seeing how they play against us. I'm looking forward to the fact they want to run us off our feet, play an offloading game, physically dominate us - and terminate us as well."

Gatland ridiculed the lazy assumption his preference for Jones ahead of James Hook for the number 10 jersey indicated Wales would use a kicking game.

The coach claimed Llanelli veteran Jones - who made his debut against South Africa a decade ago - is a more rounded player than given credit for.

"I've been surprised by some of the comments that have been made about Stephen," said the Wales head coach in Cape Town.

"People have said that we've picked him to kick the ball. But people who say that haven't done their homework. If they look at the Six Nations they will see that James kicked the ball more times statistically than Stephen when he was on the pitch.

"People have made presumptions about the player without having done enough research into the subject."

Gatland insisted the loss of Grand Slam winners Gavin Henson, Mike Phillips and Lee Byrne to injury made it crucial to retain Jones, who will win his 71st cap on Saturday, in the starting line-up.

"Stephen is an experienced player and has toured South Africa before, which is important," he said. "With most of our injuries occurring in the backline - Henson out in the midfield, Jamie Roberts coming in at fullback and Gareth Cooper starting at scrumhalf - we will look to Stephen to give us more experience.

"Both Stephen and James had an impact coming off the bench during the Six Nations. They were able to change the game and had an influence and we expect the same on Saturday."

Jones is joined in the starting line-up by his Llanelli team-mate Dafydd Jones, who will be winning his 30th cap after two years spent in international exile.

The 28-year-old replaces the injured Martyn Williams at openside and Gatland revealed he has been given licence to roam at Vodacom Park. "Dafydd has come in, kept his head down and worked hard. We've been very impressed with him," he said.

Meanwhile, the English RFU has ruled that two of the most controversial new experimental laws will not be trialled by youth rugby in England on safety grounds.

The RFU's management board approved a proposal that collapsing the maul will not be permitted in England at under-19 and below.

The experimental rule stipulating a player's shoulders must not be lower than the hips at a maul will also not be applied.

The RFU's move is a significant challenge to the International Rugby Board's attempts to push through a raft of new experimental laws into the game.