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http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/bok...74924-k67.html
June 24, 2007 - 5:41PM
Next month's Tri-Nations rugby Tests in Sydney and Christchurch have been dealt a blow, with reports on Sunday South Africa coach Jake White will leave behind 20 of his top players.
South Africa's Sunday Times and Sunday Tribune newspapers both reported White's 30-man squad for the July 7 Telstra Stadium and July 14 Jade Stadium Tests will be without most of his Bulls and Sharks players, who contested the Super 14 final last month.
Loose forward Bobby Skinstad is tipped to lead a side without stars including Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana.
The Sunday Times quoted White as saying it would be a "ludicrous risk" to travel with his best squad in a World Cup year.
He said Saturday's 26-21 loss to the All Blacks in Durban "proved how fatigued our guys are".
It was a seventh consecutive big match in as many weeks for the Springboks' Super 14 players, and White had hinted at the move last week.
"I've made it quite clear, there's a World Cup coming up, the All Blacks pulled 22 guys from the Super 14 which I wasn't able to do because our franchises didn't feel it was necessary," he said.
"New Zealand, Ireland, England and France have done it, so we've got to make sure we do whatever's best to give ourselves a chance to win the World Cup."
White names his squad on Monday.