Rugby:South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has named seven uncapped players in a 51-man squad called up for a team planning session in Cape Town next month ahead of the World Cup and international season.
Only three of those included - winger Lionel Mapoe, scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius and loose forward Duane Vermeulen - are still to have any involvement with the Springbok squad.
The other four - outhalf Elton Jantjies, scrumhalf Charl McLeod and props Coenie Oosthuizen and Werner Kruger - all featured at some stage in de Villiers' squad that toured Britain and Ireland at the back end of last year.
All four also appeared for their country against the Barbarians in December.
The party will attend two days of meetings and logistical discussions in the first of three national camps in preparation for the new season.
"Our first Tri-Nations Test kicks off only two weeks after the Super Rugby final," said De Villiers. "I wanted to make sure that we can get straight to work on the field with some quality preparation when we get together and not be compromised by players familiarising themselves with our structures or understanding logistical issues.
"By the end of this series of camps I hope that any of the players we call on will be familiar with our on and off the field systems and the logistical boxes have all been ticked. These sessions are not about selection now - they're about being ready when we make the final selections."
Big-name players such as captain John Smit, his deputy Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Schalk Burger have been included. However, those based outside the country, like Frans Steyn, Butch James and Ruan Pienaar, were excluded.
It means there are 17 members in total that were part of the World Cup-winning squad from 2007.
Jurie Roux, the South African Rugby Union chief executive officer, said: "SARU's priority is first and foremost with Springbok preparations in this Rugby World Cup year and with the support of the provinces our national teams department has been able to plan three squad get-togethers during Vodacom Super Rugby.
"There are many demands on the Springboks as well as off-field operational matters to be attended to in a Rugby Wold Cup year and as part of Peter de Villiers' long-term planning he requested that time be made now so that the team can get straight to on-field work once they gather for the first Tests of the year in July."
The session will take place on May 1 and 2, while the first Springbok squad of the season will be named on July 2 or 9, depending on South African representation in the Super Rugby final.
South Africa sqaud (planning session group):Willem Alberts, Gio Aplon, Bjorn Basson, Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Keegan Daniel, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Peter Grant, Bryan Habana, Alistair Hargreaves, Francois Hougaard, Adi Jacobs, Elton Jantjies, Ricky Januarie , Ryan Kankowski, Zane Kirchner, Werner Kruger, Pat Lambie, Francois Louw, Bandise Maku, Lionel Mapoe, Victor Matfield, Charl McLeod, Tendai Mtawarira, Waylon Murray, Lwazi Mvovo, Odwa Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Coenie Oosthuizen, JP Pietersen, Dewaldt Potgieter, Sarel Pretorius, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Deon Stegmann, Morné Steyn, Adriaan Strauss, CJ van der Linde, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen.
