South Africa include seven uncapped players for June Tests

South Africa have named seven uncapped players in a 36-man squad for the June Tests against Wales and Scotland.

Marnitz Boshoff, Lood de Jager, Cornal Hendricks, Teboho Mohoje, S'bura Sithole, Marcel van der Merwe and Callie Visagie, have been called up.

The squad also includes World Cup winners Schalk Burger and Victor Matfield.

Schalk Brits, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo and Frans Steyn are also included.

Springboks captain Jean de Villiers, who is out with a knee injury, is not included, while lock Eben Etzebeth has been given more time to fully recover from a foot injury.

Vice-captain Adriaan Strauss is also absent having been suspended for three matches, and the experienced Jaque Fourie has been ruled out with an ankle injury.

Uncapped Western Province midfielder Damian de Allende was initially selected for the squad.

But he was forced out by a knee injury and replaced by Golden Lions fly-half Boshoff.

"It's never easy starting the international season without a number of key players, but it's the same for our opponents as well and there are no excuses," said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.

"We simply have to hit the ground running this week and make sure we start the season as well as possible."

The Springboks face Wales on 14 and 21 June before hosting Scotland on 28 June in Port Elizabeth.