Duane Vermeulen said that out of the original squad of forty-five players named for the Rugby Championship, the Springboks already used forty-plus players.
"We did experiment quite a bit and gave guys a taste of international rugby to see where they are"
"If you're looking forward, there's still a long journey to go to the next World Cup. We're also busy building and getting the right guys in the right spots to get your perfect team at the end of the day."
Vermeulen hinted that captain Siya Kolisi may shift to eightman, following his impressive showing for the Sharks.
“Siya played well at No 8 (for the Sharks). He’s quick off the base, he’s explosive, and you might see different experiments in the selection of the line-ups.” Vermeulen added.
Discussing the late inclusion of Bulls loosie Cameron Hanekom said he rates Hanekom highly, but also said Hanekom would need to bide his time before getting selected for the Springboks.
“He just needs to be patient. There are still a couple of guys ahead of him playing there and playing well, so you have to be patient and wait your turn."
“Cameron is a really good player, I’ve been following him this season and he has been playing really well for the Bulls. Those guys need to be rewarded, and I’m not saying rewarded by giving them a chance to play."
“Coming on this end-of-year tour is obviously a good opportunity for him to learn what goes on in our setup and how we go about our days and our week into a Test match."
“If he gets an opportunity, that will be fantastic, but if he doesn’t, then the guys are still looking at him and he’s been putting up his hand."
“If you’re versatile and you can slot in anywhere, it gives you that little bit of freedom in picking your team. Only time will tell. We’ll have to wait and see where he slots in.”
