Jean could join Munster mates at Croke Park

The World Cup winning centre was left out of the current Springbok touring party after accepting a new challenge of Magners League rugby earlier this year.

A consistent Springbok policy of only selecting home-based players had looked likely to mean that De Villiers would not feature for his country again until his contract with Munster had come to an end.

But an untimely injury crisis among the Bok party has led namesake Peter de Villiers to recall the 54-cap star ahead of Saturday's mouth-watering clash against Ireland at Croke Park.

South Africa are set to name their matchday 22 on Thursday, two days after Ireland chose seven Munster players in their own starting line up, with three more among the replacements.

De Villiers' Magners League team-mates Keith Earls, Tomas O'Leary, Jerry Flannery, John Hayes, Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell and David Wallace all start for Ireland, with Tony Buckley, Peter Stringer and Ronan O'Gara available from the bench.

Having been prompted to call for de Villiers after Adi Jacobs was sent home, South Africa were forced to cancel a mid-week training session, with eight squad members requiring further medical assessment before an already delayed team announcement can take place.

Fullback Zane Kirchner, scrum-half Fourie du Preez, lock Bakkies Botha, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, reserve hooker Adriaan Strauss, Schalk Burger and Leinster's CJ van der Linde, who like de Villiers was a surprise call up earlier in the tour, are all doubtful for the final Test of the year.