Victor Matfield says he would pick RG Snyman and Pieter-Steph du Toit as the lock pairing for the June Test series against England.

The Springboks have been dealt a cruel blow after in-form lock Lood de Jager was ruled out of action for up to four months with a torn pectoral muscle. Meanwhile, Eben Etzebeth, who has been sidelined since the start of the season, is unlikely to feature in the three-Test series despite recently returning to training.

In an interview with Netwerk24, Matfield said he would pick Du Toit and the uncapped Snyman to start in the absence of those injured players.

‘Lood’s injury is a big setback because he is one of the best No 5’s in the country. Luckily we are blessed with outstanding locks in this country. I’d select Pieter-Steph at No 5 and RG at No 4 against England.

‘Pieter-Steph likes to climb in and is also a bit like Danie Rossouw in the sense that he is equally at home at No 4 and blindside flank.

‘I worked a lot with RG when he was a junior and he has potential as a No 5. He has done well there in the lineouts, but it’s a different story at Test level. It’s maybe a good idea to now give him [some] exposure.’

Matfield also said that the Bulls’ Jason Jenkins and the Lions’ Franco Mostert have to be considered for selection based on their form in Super Rugby this season.

Photo: Phill Magakoe/AFP