Writing for Sport24, Rob Houwing believes the Springboks are asking for trouble by delaying their tour squad selection until after the Currie Cup finale.
"As if there hasn’t been enough tumult in the camp over coaching matters, the Springbok team are also going to have to hit the ground running on their Grand Slam tour.
"Confirmation by SARU on Tuesday that the national squad for the traditional end-of-year tour will only be named after the Absa Currie Cup final on October 30 means there will be precious little time for players to digest their inclusion or, more importantly, acclimatise ahead of the tough first assignment against Ireland in Dublin just a week later.
"Nobody needs reminding that the Irish achieved their own Grand Slam (winning all matches in the Six Nations) in 2009 and were runners-up to France this year – they have also won all of their last three home Tests against South Africa.
"So it is hardly a soft start for the Boks, and a real “rush job” will be required to get them ready, minus trusty leader John Smit, for their first challenge of the European winter.
"Certainly the fortnight between the Currie Cup semi-finals on October 16 and final, while a blessing for certain hard-pressed domestic players who will appreciate the rest, is beginning to look more and more like an unhelpful curse from a Springbok perspective."
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