South Africa's injury-ravaged Tri-Nations squad is still good enough to compete with Australia and New Zealand, Springboks' coach Peter de Villiers says.

De Villiers said on Tuesday he is "really excited" to take his inexperienced group overseas and is not concerned with questions over the Boks' massive injury list and suggestions the No.3-ranked South Africa chose a weakened team to keep its best players fresh for the World Cup.

South Africa included only two players in their squad who can be considered regulars: Captain John Smit and flyhalf Morne Steyn.

Six members of the touring group are uncapped.

"This is, to me, a Springbok team that is going to compete," De Villiers said.

"We are serious to become number one in the world again and, if we can do that before the World Cup, it will be brilliant."

South Africa's announcement last week that 21 top players were injured and unable to tour prompted the Australian Rugby Union to seek assurances from southern hemisphere rugby body SANZAR that the injuries were legitimate.

SANZAR said it was satisfied that the injury list was genuine, clearing the defending world champions to take a largely second-string group to Australia and New Zealand.

"I don't read the papers. I don't know what the reaction is in Australia," De Villiers said after being asked if he was surprised by Australia's call for the injury list to be investigated.

"I don't care about what's happening in Australia.

"So, whatever anyone says out there about being unhappy, I don't have a problem."

Established stars not selected include vice-captain Victor Matfield, fellow forwards Bakkies Botha, Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis and backs Fourie du Preez, Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen, Butch James and Frans Steyn.

They will all watch at home when South Africa plays the Wallabies in Sydney on July 23 and the All Blacks in Wellington a week later.

There were further injury worries for De Villiers on Tuesday when flanker Heinrich Brussow, lock Johann Muller and prop Coenie Oosthuizen all missed training.

Uncapped lock Gerhard Mostert and 2007 World Cup winner CJ van der Linde were called in as cover as the Springboks deal with mounting injury problems ahead of their World Cup defence, which begins on September 11.

"There's a saying, whenever you look back you go in that direction," De Villiers told a huddle of reporters on the edge of a training session. "I want to look forward now."

There was one boost for the Springboks this season, De Villiers said.

It was an advantage for his national preparations that no South African team was involved in last weekend's Super Rugby final, in which the Queensland Reds beat the Crusaders.

"For us, it was a blessing in disguise. We had two (extra) weeks to prepare," the coach said.

"Last week was irreplaceable. If we didn't have last week, I wouldn't have had even one minute of sleep."

De Villiers is expected to use the matches in Australia and New Zealand to decide on who will fill the fringe places in his 30-man World Cup squad, which will be announced on August 23.

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