Five changes, including a surprise recall for firebrand five-eighth Butch James, are not the actions of a panicking team, South African rugby coach Jake White insists.

James, who joined his teammates in Wellington on Wednesday as a replacement for injured lock Danie Rossouw, has been bracketed with Meyer Bosman as the starting No.10 for the Tri-Nations test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday.

Whoever gets the nod will play outside a new halfback, Fourie du Preez, as the Ricky Januarie-Jaco van der Westhuyzen combination which struggled badly in the 49-0 loss to the Wallabies in Brisbane last Saturday gets the boot.

Up front, Albert van den Berg comes in for Rossouw while the loose forward trio is revamped.

Jacques Cronje replaces inexperienced No 8 Pierre Spies while, in an eye-raising change, relative unknown Solly Tyibilika comes on to the openside flank in place of proven performer Joe van Niekerk to battle with All Blacks maestro Richie McCaw.

However, the major talking point was the fast-tracking of James, who has not played a Test since 2002.

His career has been blighted by injury - having undergone major operations on each knee - since his last Test but White has always been a fan of the hard-hitting playmaker.

He returned to action for the Sharks late in the Super 14 and White has pounced on the opportunity to restore him at international level.

"He was our Test flyhalf before he got injured so we thought between now and the World Cup we'd give him a chance and see how he fits in," White said of James, whose reputation has been sullied by an apparent penchant for defensive shoulder charges.

"Defensively we need to look at that channel. He's got experience, he's kicked for goal at Test level so we have to know who is our backup Test goalkicker."

White will not decide between James and the more precise Bosman until Saturday morning, with James' ability to slot in quickly a decisive factor, along with the weather conditions on match day.

Either way, White's unsuccessful two-year experimentation with using fullback Jaco van der Westhuyzen at five eighth appears over.

"We've been going with Jaco for a long time now. We're probably not going up a level as we thought we would."

White had a less conclusive reason for introducing Tyibilika, who struggled to win a start for the Sharks this year.

"I've brought him along, I can't expect him to sit and hold tackle bags the whole tour," White said.

"He was always going to get a chance, whether it be here or at home.

"It's only fair that after last weekend's game he gets an opportunity to put his hand up and see what he does."

White's problem at flanker has come about through the season-long loss of the world-class Schalk Burger due to injury.

White said injuries had created numerous positions where players could force their way into a Springboks jersey for the long term.

"It's not a case of hitting the panic button. We were always going to expose players on these games away from home and see whether they sink or swim," he said.

"I've been saying it for three years that we were always going to hit the wall in terms of injuries to our players."

White noted that about nine of the players who formed his core squad in 2004, his first year in charge, were now injured.

South Africa: Percy Montgomery, Akona Ndungane, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Meyer Bosman/Butch James, Fourie du Preez, Jacques Cronje, Juan Smith, Solly Tyibilika, Victor Matfield, Albert van den Berg, CJ van der Linde, John Smit (captain), Os du Randt. Res: Breyton Paulse/JP Pietersen, Bosman/James, Ricky Januarie, Joe van Niekerk, Johann Muller, Eddie Andrews, Danie Coetzee.

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