Lock Danie Rossouw has withdrawn from the Springbok rugby team to face Italy at the Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Saturday.

Rossouw, who was selected on the bench for the match, suffered a hip flexor injury during training this week and has been withdrawn by the medical team.

He will be fit for the Tri-Nations tour that starts next month. Rossouw’s place on the bench is taken by his Bulls team-mate Flip van der Merwe, who joined the squad in East London on Thursday morning.

Rossouw sat out the first Test against Italy in Witbank last week and rejoined the squad in East London last Sunday.

Van der Merwe was not in the match 22 in Witbank after making his Test debut from the bench against France in Cape Town a week earlier.

“It’s a disappointment for Danie but important too that he is fit for the Tri-Nations,” said Bok coach Peter de Villiers.

“It is also another opportunity for Flip to get some game time and experience at this level and I am sure he will make the most of it.”

Bulls winger and scrumhalf Francois Hougaard is in East London and spent the day in the Springboks’ hotel – and the indications are that he will be included in the Springbok side for the Australasian leg of the Tri-Nations tour which is to be announced on Saturday.

No official announcement was made by Saru why Hougaard has joined the squad but it has been learnt that he is in East London to be kitted out after missing out on the four Tests before the Tri-Nations tour.

Hougaard has a broken bone in his hand, but this week said that he was fit should he be called up by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.

Perhaps he then already knew something not divulged to the media yet. He has been training with the Blue Bulls Currie Cup side although he has not made contact since the Super 14 final four weeks ago.

Springbok communications manager Anthony Mackaiser on Thursday confirmed that the Bulls wing who played his only Test against Italy on the 2009 year-end tour as a replacement in his preferred position of scrumhalf, did not train with the Springboks but was there officially.

That conforms with unofficial comment that he is there to be kitted out – and if so his selection will be bad news for one of a number of players who might be affected by the options Hougaard’s versatility brings to the side.