South Africa yesterday dismissed claims that their second row Bakkies Botha had tried to gouge his opposite number Chris Jack during the Springboks' Tri-Nations defeat against New Zealand in Christchurch last Saturday.

With the Springboks meeting the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday, Australian newspapers published pictures of Botha with his hand across Jack's face. Botha was last year suspended for two months for attacking the face of the Australia hooker Brendan Cannon during the Tri-Nations match in Brisbane. Cannon is suspended on Saturday, after being banned for one match for punching his opposite number during the Wallabies' own defeat against the All Blacks earlier this month.

"I asked Bakkies what had happened with Jack," said the South Africa coach Jake White. "He said Jack had the ball and he was trying to get it off him. Bakkies was grabbed by the throat and pulled the player back. We will never stand back from a physical challenge but we are being smarter about our play than we have in recent seasons.

"If Eddie Jones [the Australia coach] tries to use the pictures of Botha and Jack as ammunition, I will just ask him where Brendan Cannon is."

White went on to express his delight that the match with Australia will be held in Perth, which is home to a substantial expatriate South African population.

"It's not a home fixture for a lot of [Australia's] players, it's a four-hour flight away," he said. "At this stage it's probably a little bit better for us. The pressure is on Australia, they lost to the All Blacks and they're not playing in a traditional Test venue like Sydney or Brisbane."

South Africa are likely to be without their centre Marius Joubert, who aggravated a long-standing shoulder problem last weekend, but their veteran prop Os du Randt, who collapsed during a scrummaging session yesterday and needed treatment on his neck, is expected to play.

It is less than a month since the end of the French club season and the fixture list for the new league campaign was published yesterday. French clubs will be in action for six weeks longer than their English counterparts, starting out on August 18 and tramping through to the middle of June.

One of those clubs, Castres, yesterday signed the New Zealand born full-back Glenn Metcalfe, who won 40 caps for Scotland, from Glasgow.

Bath's No8 Gareth Delve has put his playing return on hold after a new setback. Delve sat out the whole of last season with a shoulder injury and was to be eased back into action during Bath's pre-season tour to South Africa next month. But the Welshman has developed a condition in his calves called Compartment Syndrome and may require keyhole surgery, keeping him out for between six and eight weeks.