 Paulse is South Africa's most-capped winger of all time |
South Africa team manager Arthob Petersen has denied the selection of black winger Breyton Paulse to face England was down to outside pressure. South Africa had been expected to start with Jaque Fourie in place of Paulse, which would have resulted in only one black player in the starting XV.
"We haven't experienced any intervention," said Petersen.
But he added: "Initially there were some other intentions with regard to changing the team."
He did not expand on what those intentions were.
Against Ireland last Saturday South Africa coach Jake White fielded three black players - Paulse, Ashwin Willemse and prop Eddie Andrews.
But winger Willemse is now injured and had Paulse been dropped Andrews would have been the only non-white player in the South Africa side.
In February South African Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) president Brian van Rooyen said that South Africa would never again field a team containing only one black player.
 |  It's not as though we are running around with people who don't know what they are doing |
On Tuesday he was reported to have approved the selection of Fourie ahead of Paulse, but there appears to have been a change of heart overnight.
During the apartheid era rugby was perceived as a "white" sport and South Africa now has in place a "transformation" process in an attempt to get more black players involved in rugby at all levels.
"Unfortunately we come from a past where rugby was perceived to be a predominantly white sport," Petersen told the BBC Sport website.
"Fortunately we have turned the tide with the establishment of a new democracy and a new rugby structure.
"We have committed ourselves to transforming the game and we have to change the face of the game, but also make sure in the process that we remain a successful rugby nation internationally."
Since taking charge, coach White has guided a team containing up to five black players to the Tri-Nations title.
And despite apparently being told to change his line-up for the England game White is relaxed about the situation.
"We live in a completely different environment and I bought into those sort of parameters when I took the job," said White.
"But we're still talking about a backline which won the Tri-Nations. It's not as though we are running around with people who don't know what they are doing.
"I would like to see Fourie get on the field. We know England kick a lot across the field so we'd like to use his height there maybe."
Paulse is a former South African player of the year who won his 50th cap against Ireland a week ago.
Just 24 hours before Paulse was picked in the team Petersen said that he had been dropped, adding that the team to face England was a "horses for courses selection".
"We need to physically strengthen our back three for the unique challenge presented by England," Petersen had said.
"The dropping of Breyton is a rugby decision."
The selection of the South African tour party also sparked controversy because of its racial make up.
White named 11 black players in his 33-man squad, leading to claims that some of the selections were political.
MMIX
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