Montgomery gets chop, James stays

Springbok coach Harry Viljoen has kept faith with Butch James, but lost it with Percy Montgomery.

In naming his Springbok squad for the two Tri-Nations rugby tests on the road, the coach also brought back two Sharks players, centre Andre Snyman and lock Albert van den Berg.

The biggest surprises are the preference of the experienced Snyman ahead of provincial team-mate Trevor Halstead and the axing of 49-test veteran Montgomery.

Snyman last played for the Boks in 1999 at Loftus against the All Blacks.

He scored a try, but broke an ankle, which kept him out of the World Cup. Returning to the Super 12 last year, he looked back in contention for the Bok team, but broke his other ankle in a club match for Durban High School Old Boys.

Montgomery is apparently the scapegoat for South Africa's defeat by New Zealand in the first Tri-Nations Test. The Boks lost 12-3 at Newlands two weeks ago with the fullback failing to land vital goal-kicks.

The failure led to a recall for Braam van Straaten, whose accurate boot played a major part in South Africa's 20-15 triumph over the Wallabies last weekend in Pretoria.

Van Straaten was expected to replace James at first five-eighths, but Viljoen, not for the first time, has confounded the critics who believed the Sharks man's dubious tackling, inter alia, make him a liability.

It was significant that Bok captain Bobby Skinstad yesterday berated James's critics in the press. James is being rested by his Currie Cup said, Natal, this weekend.

Van Straaten will continue to play at inside centre, with Snyman to fill injured Marius Joubert's place in the Bok squad. Joubert is expected to play for Boland again within two weeks.

Van den Berg, who injured his breastbone during the second Test against France at King's Park, has made a good recovery and is expected to play for Natal this weekend.

The Springboks play Australia in Perth on August 18 and New Zealand in Auckland on August 25.

Forwards: Bob Skinstad (captain), Johan Ackermann, Mark Andrews, Robbie Kempson, Corne Krige, Ollie le Roux, Victor Matfield, Willie Meyer, John Smit, Lukas van Biljon, Albert van den Berg, Johann van Niekerk, Cobus Visagie, Andre Vos, Andre Venter.

Backs: Neil de Kock, Thinus Delport, Robbie Fleck, Dean Hall, Conrad Jantjes, Butch James, Deon Kayser, Breyton Paulse, Andre Snyman, Braam van Straaten, Joost van der Westhuizen.

- INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (SOUTH AFRICA)