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CAPE TOWN - South Africa coach Jake White named a near full-strength team for the World Cup warm-up test against Namibia in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Halfback Fourie du Preez will start his first match since the Super 14 final in May, while skipper John Smit returns for the first time since pulling a hamstring in June.
Number eight Jacques Cronje is the only member of the team who is not in the 30-man squad for the World Cup. He is deputising for the injured Danie Rossouw and Bob Skinstad.
"The result of the match is not as important to us as the way we play," White told a news conference.
"We are interested in putting our patterns into play. We've spent weeks on the training ground and need to translate that into the way we perform on the field."
This is the first time a match between South Africa and Namibia has been awarded test status. For several players, such as fullback Percy Montgomery and prop Os du Randt, it will be the last time they play an international on home soil.
South Africa leave for Ireland on Friday for warm-up matches against Connacht and Scotland. Their opening Pool A World Cup match is against Samoa on September 9.
South Africa
15-Percy Montgomery; 14-Ashwin Willemse, 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Jean de Villiers, 11-JP Pietersen; 10-Butch James, 9-Fourie du Preez; 8-Jacques Cronje, 7-Juan Smith, 6-Schalk Burger, 5-Victor Matfield, 4-Bakkies Botha; 3-CJ van der Linde, 2-John Smit, 1-Os du Randt.
Reserves: 16-Gary Botha, 17-BJ Botha, 18-Albert van den Berg, 19-Johann Muller, 20-Ricky Januarie, 21-Ruan Pienaar, 22-Akona Ndungane.
Namibia
15-Heini Bock; 14-Bradley Langenhoven, 13-Lu-Wayne Botes, 12-Piet van Zyl, 11-Melrick Africa; 10-Emile Wessels, 9-Jurie van Tonder; 8-Jacques Burger, 7-Tinus du Plessis, 6-Jacques Nieuwenhuis, 5-Nico Esterhuysen, 4-Wacca Kazombiaze, 3-Marius Visser, 2-Hugo Horn, 1-Kees Lensing.
Reserves: 16-JM Meyer, 17-Jani du Toit, 18-Johnny Redelinghuys, 19-Herman Lintvelt, 20-Eugene Jantjies, 21-Du Preez Grobler, 22-TC Losper.
- REUTERS
