Injuries force Bok changes

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli has made two enforced changes to his line-up for tomorrow's test against Australia in Brisbane.

Western Province duo Breyton Paulse and Faan Rautenbach will start the match in place of the injured Dean Hall (knee) and Willie Meyer (ankle).

Brent Russell and Delarey du Preez come on to the bench.

The coach has otherwise stuck with the side who went down 41-20 to the All Blacks in their Tri-Nations opener in Wellington last weekend.

Both teams need a win after opening-round losses to New Zealand.

Meanwhile, Wallaby winger Ben Tune hit back at his South African critics yesterday as he took some responsibility for the drug cover-up that has smeared Australian rugby.

Tune said he had been in favour of keeping quiet last year after learning that he had played two Super 12 matches with traces of the banned substance probenecid in his system.

Tune said he "wasn't confident" of escaping punishment.



But Wallabies coach Eddie Jones said that Tune had no case to answer and that the Australian and Queensland Rugby Unions should share the blame for the debacle.

Tune told the South Africans to back off after Straeuli demanded that the Wallabies undergo drug testing before tomorrow's match.

"If it would make them feel better I would be more than happy to do that," Tune said.

"I've been tested twice already this year [after two Super 12 matches].

"We get tested all the time by the Australian Sports Drug Agency and I could safely say that our drug-testing policies would probably be a lot stricter than South Africa's.

"With their record, they probably shouldn't be throwing too many stones."

The quotes will rankle Straeuli, who has this week defended the reputation of South African rugby, which has had its own drug problems in recent seasons.

Tune was given probenecid for an infection in March last year.

Authorities did not know the drug was on the International Rugby Board's banned list.

Tune later sat out four Super 12 matches while the drug left his system, but the reason for his withdrawal was kept secret. Officials said he was injured.

"Myself and the [Queensland Rugby Union] and people that knew were obviously concerned about the innuendo that would surround someone like myself coming out and saying I took this banned substance," Tune said.

"They gave me advice and I took it. I didn't have to take it but I did, so I have to take responsibility for that as well."



Springboks: Werner Greeff; Stefan Terblanche, Marius Joubert, De Wet Barry, Breyton Paulse; Andre Pretorius, Johannes Conradie; Bob Skinstad, Joe van Kiekerk, Corne Krige (capt), Victor Matfield, Jannes Labuschagne, Faan Rautenbach, James Dalton, Lawrence Sephaka. Reserves: Delarey du Preez, Ollie le Roux, AJ Venter, Hendro Scholtz, Neil de Kock, Adrian Jacobs, Brent Russell.

- AGENCIES