Four candidates have been identified by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers to assist the team in retaining their status as world champions in New Zealand later this year.

“I have a few people in mind and at this moment I can think of four,” De Villiers said on Wednesday.

De Villiers would not, however, elaborate on who the men are that he would like at his side when South Africa kick off their World Cup campaign against Wales in Wellington on September 11.

“It is still early days and if those people say no then I might as well never mention it,” he said.

“If they do not want to come on board it will make the people who I then approach feel like their efforts are second hand.”

Last year the Springbok coach approached Frans Ludeke of the Bulls, new Lions coach John Mitchell and Stormers defence coach Jacques Nienaber for assistance during the Tri-Nations.

His attempts to lure them were unsuccessful and created what was believed to be a rift with current assistant coaches Dick Muir and Gary Gold.

De Villiers has since denied that the relationship he has with his assistant coaches deteriorated because of the acquisitions he was looking to make.

Two men that have been linked with a management position during the World Cup are Eddie Jones, who was part of the 2007 World Cup winning team, as well as Western Province director of coaching Rassie Erasmus.

“There is only one requirement to be there and that is to add value to the team,” De Villiers said.

“It must enhance our chances and make it viable to bring anyone on board.”

Earlier this year Springbok management revealed they would not retain the services of scrum consultant, and double World Cup winner, Os du Randt.

While De Villiers has his idea of who he would like at his side, he added that a final decision would also have to sit well with the leadership corps of his team.

“We will look at people who can make improvements after we have consulted with some of the role players in the team,” he said.

Those very same senior players in his plans are currently being put through their paces in the extended format of the Super Rugby competition.

On that point De Villiers said he was not concerned about the physical toll it may take on some of his top guns.

Springboks Gurthro Steenkamp (arm fracture) and Juan Smith have sustained competition ending injuries thus far.

“One thing that I can disclose is that we have found that the normal pattern of injury occurrences is the case at the moment.

“There is nothing extraordinary about this season compared to others so I’m not really worried at this stage.

“We are still five months away from the World Cup and four months from the Tri-Nations, so they (the players) will just have to fight it out.”