World Cup-winning Springboks coach Jake White suspects his controversial successor will recall his stars for South Africa's two home games of the Tri Nations series.

Like White four years ago, Peter De Villiers caused a stir last week when he named a second-string touring party for South Africa's opening two Tri Nations Tests in Australia and New Zealand.

Captain John Smit and goalkicking flyhalf Morne Steyn were the only Test regulars included in the squad to tackle the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday week and the All Blacks in Wellington on July 30.

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, JP Pietersen, Butch James, Frans Steyn and 2007 World Player of the Year Bryan Habana.

South Africa's announcement that 21 top players were hurt and unable to tour prompted the ARU 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 depleted group to Australasia.

The Springboks only scraped through to the 2007 World Cup semi-finals with a comeback win over Fiji after also squeezing past Tonga 30-25 in the pool stages and White believes De Villiers is trying to ensure his squad will be refreshed and ready to fire from the outset at this year's edition in New Zealand.

The Springboks open their Cup campaign against Wales in Wellington on September 11 - just three weeks after hosting New Zealand in their final Tri Nations Test in Port Elizabeth.

"A lot of things have to be taken into account," White said on Friday.

"This is a World up year, there's no friendlies beforehand and South Africa's got a massive Test first-up against Wales.

"They've got Samoa and Fiji, two really tough teams that weplayed in the last World up, so they probably feel that if they don't play their best team for the first two games of the Tri Nations that they then therefore get two Tests to prepare for three tough games at the World Cup."

White noted that in previous World Cup years, there were at least a couple of months between the end of the Tri Nations and the start of the global showpiece for teams to finalise their preparations.

"The World Cup and a Tri Nations campaign are very different," he said.

"I think it's going to be an interesting Tri Nations.

"The Wallabies are going to try and get their best group of players together as quickly as possible.

"They're going to try to get some Test matches under their belt, get some momentum going in to the World Cup.

"Whereas South Africa, if you look at the squad they've picked and the players' they're resting, are obviously doing it a different way.

"They want to hedge their bets and they're best players will be available for the last two weeks of their campaign and then the first game of the World Cup, which is a lot different to where Australia are."

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