The Springboks will be without Duane Vermeulen and Damian de Allende for the first of three Tests against France at Loftus in Pretoria on Saturday due to injury.
No8 Vermeulen picked up a shoulder injury while playing for Toulon in Sunday's French Top-14 final when they lost to Clermont and De Allende, an inside centre, is sidelined by a haematoma he sustained in a Super Rugby match for the Stormers against the Sharks.
Outside centre Lionel Mapoe is also running against time to be fit for the clash as he is recovering from a hamstring injury.
Coach Allister Coetzee said yesterday that he wanted to select the best possible team but that "it is not always possible. We watched Duane at the weekend and he won't be available for us because he picked up a shoulder injury which is probably severe", said Coetzee. "De Allende has not recovered sufficiently from a haematoma..."
Asked if not having Vermeulen and De Allende was a blow to his preparations, Coetzee said it had minimal impact on their preparations and it would offer opportunities to other players to impress.
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