Muller waving bye, bye till October? Picture from rugbypicture.co.uk
JOHANNESBURG Aug 23 (Reuters) – South Africa coach Peter de Villiers named the following 30-man squad on Tuesday for the rugby World Cup starting in New Zealand on Sept. 9.
South Africa are in Pool D with Fiji, Namibia, Samoa and Wales.
The inclusion of Muller is a surprise after he was omitted from the last couple of games and returned to Belfast with the announcement of Club captain seeming to suggest that he’d be around for the early season openers. However we are delighted that Ulster’s captain has got the nod at this stage of his career.
South Africa look as though they are one of the least settled teams going into the competition but with a reasonably easy group they should have too much up front, with Wales the only side likely to cause them much difficulty.
With Ireland scheduled to face SA in the Quarters it is possible that there could be seven current Ulster players taking part in a World Cup Quarter Final! (And two playing in a semi final! 
)
South Africa Squad.
Backs: Francois Steyn, Gio Aplon, Patrick Lambie, Bryan Habana, Odwa Ndungane, JP Pietersen, Juan de Jongh, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Butch James, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Ruan Pienaar.
Forwards: Pierre Spies, Willem Alberts, Heinrich Brussow, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Jannie Du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Bismarck du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, John Smit (captain), Tendai Mtawarira, Guthro Steenkamp.
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3 Responses to “RWC 2011: Muller and Pienaar in South Africa Squad”
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The likely hood for the Q finals is that South Africa as winners of pool D will play Ireland as the runners up in pool C. The other scenarios are that Ireland could play Wales IF…… Wales win Pool D
and Ireland are runners up in Pool C OR Ireland win pool C 
and Wales are runners up in pool D… both unlikely ….. but are possiblities. 
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In your second and third senarions is it not more likely that Ireland will be playing FIJI?
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I suppose that there’s every possiblity that this could happen Wales failing ( Fiji last time and was it Samoa in a previous tournament)…
………….. but then again If Ireland fail as they did in RWC 2007 in France it could well be Italy that take the runners up place 
which would be a big embarrassment 
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