The South African government's portfolio committee on sport has expressed approval that the Springbok team to face England at Twickenham tomorrow was changed to include an extra black player.

Plans to replace black wing Breyton Paulse for white counterpart Jaque Fourie were overturned shortly before the team was named on Wednesday. Paulse's exclusion would have left the starting XV containing only one black player, prop Eddie Andrews.

"We felt shock and dismay that black players were touring with the team but not playing," Butana Komphela, chairman of the government's portfolio committee on sport, said. "But we are pleased that Paulse has come back into the team and will play."

The Springbok teams that played against Ireland and Wales contained three black players in the starting XV, but an injury to wing Ashwin Willemse (broken toe) and the plan to replace Paulse would have reduced black representation to one, which SA Rugby president Brian van Rooyen promised to avoid when he took office last December.

Komphela said: "When the Springboks left to go on tour we said we supported the inclusion of 11 black players (in the squad), but we told Brian van Rooyen that the figure of 11 must translate on to the field. Those 11 black players must not just be tourists, singing in the stands while the others are playing."

Six of the squad's 11 black players have yet to appear on tour. Of the 33 whites, five have yet to figure.

The Springboks' black manager, Arthob Petersen, had said on Tuesday that dropping Paulse was a rugby decision based on the taller Foure's ability to counter England's high kicks.

"Sometimes we have to take unpopular decisions," he said. "There will be unpleasant comment from certain circles, but we have to adapt to the circumstances before us."

The following day, when Paulse was reinstated, Petersen said there had been no government intervention.

The official opposition's spokesman on sport, Donald Lee of the Democratic Alliance, said in a statement: "Transformation should mean more resources and opportunities for development. It should not mean quotas or changes to selection."

White was phlegmatic about the situation when he named 50-cap Paulse in his team on Wednesday.

"South African rugby is in a unique environment and I bought into all the parameters when I signed up," he said. "But we are still talking about a back line which won the Tri-nations. It's not as though we are running around with people who don't know what they are doing."

The Springboks have not fielded an all-white team since June 1999.

Meanwhile, Scotland coach Matt Williams has kept faith with the side who scored 100 points against Japan last week for the second of two Tests against Australia on Saturday.

Williams was expected to recall Borders prop Bruce Douglas, who played against Australia in the Murrayfield Test two weeks ago.Instead, the Scotland coach has stuck with the Leeds Tykes prop Gavin Kerr.

SCOTLAND: Southwell; Paterson, Hinshelwood, Henderson, Lamont; Parks, Cusiter; Jacobson, Bulloch (capt), Kerr, Grimes, Hines, Hogg, Macfadyen, Petrie. Replacements: Russell, Douglas, MacLeod, White, Blair, Ross, Morrison.