South Africa team manager Andy Marinos said that 21 of the preliminary Rugby World Cup squad were injured and unavailable for the away leg of the Tri-Nations championship this month.

The Springboks meet Australia in Sydney on July 23 and title holders New Zealand in Wellington one week later with only three probable first-choice players in contention when the squad is named Saturday.

They are fly-half Morne Steyn, hooker and captain John Smit and number eight Pierre Spies with the absentees including the entire three-quarter line, both props and both locks.

Fullback Francois Steyn, wings JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana, centres Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers and scrum-half Fourie du Preez are among eight backs on the casualty list.

The 13 forwards ruled out include loosehead prop Tendai 'Beast' Mtawarira, tighthead prop Jannie du Plessis, locks Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield and flanks Schalk Burger and Juan Smith.

Team doctor Craig Roberts said that while a number of players faced a race against time to be fit for the two-fixture home leg of the Tri-Nations in August, no one had been ruled out of the World Cup.

"Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen recently sustained serious injuries and will definitely not be ready to take part in the Tri-Nations," Roberts told a media conference.

"But we are hopeful that others who have had long-term injuries, such as Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow and Gurthro Steenkamp, may be available at some point in the series."

South Africa will name a 30-man World Cup squad on August 23, fly to New Zealand on September 1 and begin their defence of the William Webb Ellis trophy 10 days later in Wellington against Wales.

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