The Springboks first five Morne Steyn and wing Bryan Habana are among five players released by South Africa for Top-14 club duty in France this weekend in what South African rugby says is a one-off concession to the clubs.
The South Africans are preparing for the Australasian leg of their Rugby Championship campaign but must do without Steyn, Habana, lock Juandre Kruger, prop Gurthro Steenkamp and half back Jano Vermaak this week.
The chief executive of of the South African Rugby Union Jurie Roux says most of the players have recently joined the French competition and while they could've kept them with the squad, they decided to allow them to return to their clubs.
