CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Uncapped Sharks centre Paul Jordaan and veteran Montpellier midfielder Wynand Olivier have been called up to the South Africa squad for this month’s internationals against Wales and Scotland.
The pair replace Juan de Jongh and Frans Steyn after the former was ruled out with illness and the latter withdrew for personal reasons.
De Jongh became the fifth centre to drop out of international contention in the last month, a list that includes regular captain Jean de Villiers, after he was admitted to hospital on Sunday and treated for pneumonia.
His absence was confirmed earlier on Friday.
The 22-year-old Jordaan, a former standout for the under-20 and Springbok Sevens teams, has impressed for the Sharks this season and can also be utilised on the wing.
Olivier, who played for a World XV against the Boks last weekend in Cape Town, is a veteran of 37 tests and was also part of the squad that won the 2007 World Cup in France.
He last played for South Africa in the early months of coach Heyneke Meyer’s reign against England in 2012.
“Paul has successfully come through the national and provincial ranks and was one of the Sharks’ in-form backs on their very successful Australasian tour since he came back from an injury,” Meyer said in a statement on Friday.
“Wynand’s been with us before. He is very experienced and was one of the better players in the World XV team we faced in Cape Town last weekend, while he was also one of the star performers for his club, Montpellier, who finished second in the tough French Top 14 league.”
South Africa host Wales in Durban on Saturday and again in Nelspruit a week later, followed by a one-off test against Scotland in Port Elizabeth on June 28.
