Star loose forward Schalk Burger will be unable to train with the Springboks before they depart on their three-Test tour of the United Kingdom on Friday.

However, he is expected to recover in time, from an inflammation in a hamstring tendon, to be able to take the field in the opening encounter against Wales in Cardiff next Saturday — November 8.

Burger again sat out at training on Tuesday because of the hamstring strain. He will have his first run in Cardiff when the team have their first work-out in the Welsh capital on Sunday.

The other player that was feeling out of sorts on Thursday was prop Tendai Mtawarira. The loosehead prop was still feeling the after-effects of last weekend's Currie Cup Final, in which he helped the Sharks to triumph over the Blue Bulls in Durban.

Springbok centre Jean de Villiers has overcome his stomach complaint that kept him off the training paddock on Wednesday and was full of running when backline coach Dick Muir put his charges through their paces.

Meanwhile, the Boks had ordered their training field at the University of Cape Town to be heavily watered ahead of practices in a an effort to get the players accustomed to handling a wet ball and playing on a slippery surface.

The UCT field was again heavily watered on Thursday afternoon, so much so that the afternoon training run was changed to a gym session in order to give the university staff more time to water the field.

Springbok team manager Arthob Petersen said that reports from Wales is that the Welsh capital, Cardiff, is experiencing heavy rainfall and very low temperatures.

The Boks open their tour with a match against Wales in Cardiff next Saturday.

However, the worst weather is likely to be felt in Edinburgh, where the Boks will be hosted by Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday, November 15.

"Heavy watering is perhaps one of the ways we can duplicate the weather variable," said Petersen.

"Ideally we would have liked it to rain so that the players can at least have a good run in those sorts of conditions.

"But we'll make the most of it."

365

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