South Africa Player Biographies

Following are brief biographies of the South African World Cup squad (ages correct at start of tournament:

NICK MALLETT (coach). An outspoken former provincial coach, was disregarded for the Springbok job before the visit of the British Lions in 1997 but transformed South African fortunes after succeeding Carel du Plessis. Led the side to a world record-equalling 17 successive test wins by the end of 1998. The 42-year-old's extended honeymoon period ended in 1999. Injuries and the introduction of a squad system led to four successive defeats. Controversially dropped his trusted skipper Gary Teichmann in the search to rediscover the winning formula. Born in England but his family moved to Rhodesia six weeks later.

PERCY MONTGOMERY. Fullback. Age 25. Height: 1.83m. Weight: 86kg. Caps: 29. Western Province player has a love-hate relationship with the South African public; they loved him in 1997 when he scored eight tries in his first 10 tests but have since cooled, after five tries in the following 19. Fine runner but his defence can be suspect.

BREYTON PAULSE. Fullback/wing. Age 23. 1.74m. 79kg. Caps: Five. Farm-worker's son, educated at Stellenbosch University courtesy of the financial support of his father's white employer. Beefed up this year in response to concerns about his physical frailty but has always been a dangerous broken field runner. Scored a hat-trick on test debut against Italy this year.

PIETER ROSSOW. Wing. Age 27. 1.93m. 90kg. Caps: 29. Unpredictable, deceptive runner, his spindly legs earned him the Afrikaans nickname of "slap-chips" after the thin French fries sold at his home ground of Newlands. Third on the South African all-time try scoring list with 18 tries.

STEFAN TERBLANCHE. Wing. Age 24. 1.87m. 95kg. Caps: 17. Has been with coach Mallett since their time at provincial side Boland. Natal player responded to criticism about his lack of muscle and aggression by transforming both two years ago. Deadly finisher, with 15 tries including four on his debut against Ireland and a Springbok record of five against Italy this year.

DEON KAYSER. Centre/wing. Age 29. 1.75m. 78kg. Caps: Four. Apprentice electrician with a car company. Shy man from the close-knit coloured community of Uitenhage who never imagined he would play at his local 'white' test ground of Boet Erasmus in Eastern Province, let alone in a World Cup. Now has the chance to prove himself as a fierce defender and determined crash-ball runner. Hat-trick of tries on debut against Italy after coming on as a second-half replacement against Italy this year.

BRENDAN VENTER. Centre. Age 29. 1.86m. 92kg. Caps: 15. A qualified doctor. Tough player, excellent creator of opportunities for those around him. A last-minute World Cup call-up after a handful of performances for Free State at inside centre. Credited with having helped turn around the fortunes of London Irish and Free State on his return home. Challenged to play as good a game as he talks by Mallett.

ROBBIE FLECK. Centre. Age 24. 1.84m. 89kg. Caps: Six. Fiery player who could make the starting line-up after first-choice Andre Snyman broke an ankle in August. Western Province player has a real eye for a gap and is a very aggressive defender.

WAYNE JULIES. Centre. Age 20. 1.82m. 88kg. Uncapped. Talented centre, benefiting from South Africa's 'merit with bias' policy. A regular starter for Boland and the pivot around which many of the moves revolved in South Africa's under-21 victory at the SANZAR/UAR championships in Argentina this year.

KAYA MALOTANA. Centre/wing. Age 22. 1.76m. 75kg. Uncapped. Will become the first black African to play test rugby for the Springboks when he appears at the World Cup. Learnt the game at a predominantly white rugby school in East London and has flowered in 1999, adding pace to his strength and handling ability.

PIETER MULLER. Centre. Age 30. 1.88m. 91kg. Caps: 29. Had two seasons of rugby league with the Sydney Bulldogs after being overlooked for the 1995 World Cup. The only Springbok still in the game who played in the first match following readmission in 1992. Recalled in 1998 when his partnership with Natal provincial teammate Honiball gave the Springboks a formidable midfield defence.

JANNIE DE BEER. Flyhalf. Age 28. 1.82m. 80kg. Caps: Eight Known mainly for his kicking. Appeared to have ended his South African test career when he signed for London Scottish in 1998. Considered qualifying for Scotland through a grandparent (from where he gets his red hair) but his return to Free State midway through the South African season coincided with a Springbok flyhalf crisis. Won his first cap in 18 months in August and looked a far more relaxed, confident player.

HENRY HONIBALL. Flyhalf. Age 33. 1.90m. 90kg. Caps: 33. A farmer by trade. Known as "lem" from the Afrikaans for "blade" in homage to his guillotine-like tackling. Deep-thinking, reclusive man who commutes 200km to training with Natal. Invariably wears a laconic half-smile, regardless of whether he has just scored a match-winning try or missed a match-winning conversion. Due to join Bob Dwyer's Bristol after the World Cup.

JOOST VAN DER WESTHUIZEN. Scrumhalf. Age 28. 1.88m. 89kg. Caps: 52. World class and already recognised as one of South Africa's all-time greats and the country's leading test try scorer 26 tries, many of them predatory efforts from charge-downs or following lightning breaks from the base of scrums and rucks. Recovering from knee ligament damage and given the job of healing Springbok wounds as successor to the controversially axed Gary Teichmann.

WERNER SWANEPOEL. Scrumhalf. Age 26. 1.74m. 80kg. Caps: 13. Ever cheerful, hence the nickname "Smiley," despite being the perennial understudy to Van der Westhuizen. Busy linkman compared to the more individualistic Van der Westhuizen. One of five players in the squad from Grey College school in Bloemfontein (others are Drotske, Le Roux, Kruger and Muller).

BOBBY SKINSTAD. Number eight. Age 23. 1.94m. 104kg. Caps: 10. Prodigiously gifted and articulate Western Province captain, worshipped in the Cape for his pace and fine handling, although the rest of the country is more ambivalent. Viewed as something of a teacher's pet of the Cape-based management team and unfairly blamed for Mallett's decision to axe former skipper Teichmann.

ANTON LEONARD. Number eight. Age 29. 1.89m. 102kg. Caps: One. Made his name in the Super 12 after Skinstad's season was curtailed by a car crash. Emerged from the unfashionable South Western Districts to be called up as cover on the Springboks Tri-nations tour. Injuries to Vos and Teichmann gave him an unexpected cap.

RASSIE ERASMUS. Flanker/number eight. Age 26. 1.91m. 100kg. Caps: 23. Garrulous, out-going and popular character who turned down the Springbok captaincy in June only to accept it when all other candidates were injured in July. Captained the Cats in the Super 12 in 1999. A former under-21 provincial flyhalf.

ANDRE VENTER. Flanker. Age 28. 1.96m. 108kg. Caps: 39. Quietly spoken and deeply religious Free Stater, the embodiment of the ideal Afrikaner rugby player - big, fast, suicidally brave and loyal. Briefly shunted to lock in 1998 but his fine performances on the flank have seen him return to the number seven shirt. Awesome in fitness testing.

ANDRE VOS. Flanker/number eight. Age 24. 1.89m. 104kg. Caps: Five. Precociously mature, breaking the South African mould by being made captain of Eastern Province aged 21. Moved to the Lions and then took his career in his own hands by spending a Super 12 season with Queensland, fearing his route would be blocked in South Africa by a host of rivals. Impressed on the Springboks' end-of-season tour in 1998, captaining the midweek side.

RUBEN KRUGER. Flanker. Age: 29. 1.89m. 102kg. Caps: 34. Cut down at the height of his powers by a broken ankle, then knee ligament damage which wiped out two seasons of his career from 1997. Just making his second comeback with the Blue Bulls and question marks remain over whether he will be able to recapture the form of the 1995 World Cup. Quiet strongman of the squad. Supeme defence.

ALBERT VAN DEN BERG. Lock. Age 25. 2.01m. 102kg. Caps: Four. Arguably the fastest lock in world rugby, routinely outpacing backs with a prodigious try-scoring record at provincial level. Quietly spoken product of the remote and rural Northern Cape who came to prominence under former Springbok coach Andre Markgraaff at Griqualand West in 1998.

SELBORNE BOOME. Lock. Age 24. 1.98m. 107kg. Caps: Seven. Fruit farmer's son from the Ceres mountains outside Cape Town, pursuing a career as an investment consultant outside of rugby. Busy player with high work rate, converted from the back row.

MARK ANDREWS. Lock. Age 27. 2.00m. 113kg. Caps: 56. Most capped Springbok of all time and a veteran of the World Cup winning team of 1995 when he appeared out of position at number eight. His fiancee former Australian 50m freestyle champion Deborah Crookes has helped the Natal player rediscover his zest for the game although his battles with South African immigration to acquire a work permit for her have led to him to talk of moving to Australia.

KRYNAUW OTTO. Lock. Age 27. 2.00m. 116kg. Caps: 28. Arguably South Africa's player of the year in 1998. A fringe test player from his debut in 1995 until Mallett took over in 1997. Formidably robust on the field and a proverbial gentle giant off it. Boasts as his favourite item of clothing a pair of Bart Simpson boxer shorts.

OS DU RANDT. Prop. Age 27. 1.90m. 130kg. Caps: 33. The Behemoth of Bloemfontein missed the 1998 season through injury and is still troubled by knee damage which will never be fully repaired. Rushed back into the Springbok side at loosehead for the Tri-Nations and immediately had a salutary effect on the pack.

COBUS VISAGIE. Prop. Age 25. 1.85m. 118kg. Caps: 6. Chartered accountant by trade. Made his debut this year after an impressive Super 12 with the Western Province Stormers. Instrumental in rebuilding a suspect Springbok scrum. Alleged to be able to discuss tighthead technique for hours, hence one of his nicknames -- "Shoulders." Graduated at the top of his accountancy class from Stellenbosch University.

ADRIAN GARVEY. Prop. Age 31. 1.89m. 116kg. Caps: 27. Participating in his second World Cup, having represented his native Zimbabwe in 1991. Moved to South Africa in 1994 and established himself at Natal as one of the more mobile, ball-playing tightheads in the game. Ever present under Mallett until injury wiped out the first six months of 1999.

OLLIE LE ROUX. Prop. Age 26. 1.83m. 122kg. Caps: 20. Natal loosehead. Lists his occupations as professional rugby player and "socialite." Renowned for his consumption of cheese burgers and second-half arrival as an impact player. Ever smiling, particularly when kicking conversions as he has very occasionally done in Super 12 and Currie Cup rugby.

NAKA DROTSKE. Hooker. Age 28. 1.82m. 105kg. Caps: 20. Took advantage of injury to James Dalton to emerge from his shadow this year and finally establish himself as South Africa's first-choice hooker six years after making his debut in 1999. Has recently completed the required solo flying hours for his private pilot's licence.

CHRIS ROSSOUW. Hooker. Age 30. 1.82m. 105kg. Caps: Seven. Played in the World Cup winning team of 1995, since when he has been out of favour, waiting four years and two months for his next cap when he came on as a replacement against the All Blacks in August. Consistently outstanding for the Natal Sharks in the Super 12 but perhaps held back by a short on-field fuse.

Reuters contributed to this report.