South Africa rugby coach Peter de Villiers has selected an experimental squad for next month's UK Tour, leaving out World Cup winners Butch James, CJ van der Linde, Jannie du Plessis and Johann Muller.

The Boks, set to play three Tests, against Wales, Scotland and England in November, will also be without experienced and now retired fullback Percy Montgomery.

There are recalls however for captain John Smit, who missed a large chunk of the Tri-Nations competition because of a groin injury, promising hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle, lock Bakkies Botha and centre Jaque Fourie, who have all come off long injury layoffs.

De Villiers also handed first call-ups to Lions flyhalf Earl Rose and Cheetahs loose forward Heinrich Brussow. The Bok boss has gambled somewhat by not including an experienced flyhalf in his squad, with Rose the only player to regularly feature in the position throughout the local provincial competition.

De Villiers has stated he will employ scrum-half Ruan Pienaar as his first choice No 10. "Ruan will be our number one flyhalf. He suits the running game I want this Bok team to play," said De Villiers.

Regarding the call-up of Brussow and Rose, De Villiers said: "We wanted to reward players who did well in the (domestic) Currie Cup, and we've done that.

"There also appears to be a likely change of position in the team for captain Smit, who is set to turn out at tighthead prop on tour. We want to keep John in the system for as long as possible and for him to do that we're thinking of a shift in position for him, from hooker to prop."

Bismarck du Plessis and Ralepelle will be the team's two hookers on tour. There was no place in the squad for controversial loose forward Luke Watson, who on Friday said he would not be available to tour.

Watson faces a South African Rugby Union disciplinary hearing in the coming days following comments he recently made about the Springbok jersey. "This is a very important tour for us," said De Villiers, who won just two of his team's six matches in this year's Tri-Nations competition.

"It's our last opportunity to knit the team as a unit before coming up against the British and Irish Lions next year." The Boks will depart for the UK on Friday.

South Africa rugby union squad for November tour to Wales, Scotland and England:

Backs: Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Adrian Jacobs, Conrad Jantjes, Ricky Januarie, Odwa Ndungane, Jongi Nokwe, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Earl Rose, Frans Steyn

Forwards: Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Brits, Heinrich Brussow, Bismarck du Plessis, Ryan Kankowski, Victor Matfield, Brian Mujati, Beast Mtawarira, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, John Smit (capt), Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Gurthro Steenkamp

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