Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has revealed that his biggest challenge was not to keep momentum from the weekend's 49-3 Pool D victory over Fiji, but - rather - to manage his players ahead of the knockout stages of the 2011 World Cup.

The Bok coach surprised all and sundry at Tuesday's team announcement - ahead of Thursday's meeting with Namibia - by making just five changes to the starting line-up that dismantled Fiji in Wellington on Saturday.

De Villiers said he had selected the strongest available squad for the match and he defended his decision not to field a second-string side against the weakest team in South Africa's pool.

He explained: "Managing the players and changing the team every week is two different things. We are looking at giving everybody a chance on the tour. It is a different thing.

"If we are looking at all other scenarios, it is a different thing.

"I said that I was going to manage the players. I didn't say that everybody else will play."

One man still in the mix is record-breaking Springbok skipper John Smit who will extend his record of Test caps to 109 when he leads out the Men in Green & Gold - overtaking injured lock and long-time teammate Victor Matfield in the process.

"We had two bruising encounters and from that John (Smit) is the only one standing, so you can see how valuable he is," said De Villiers.

"Along the line, we will have to manage John too," he added. "We have to manage our players sensibly if we want to have 30 players fit when we get to the proper tough games."

Aside from retaining Smit at hooker - and bringing in Chiliboy Ralepelle as the reserve hooker, with Bismarck du Plessis getting a complete rest - De Villiers has handed first-ever World Cup starts to Willem Alberts (at flank), Francois Hougaard (at flyhalf) and winger Gio Aplon.

Back in the mix is 2007 World Cup star Bryan Habana (on the left-wing), whilst veteran CJ van der Linde - who started the 2007 final at tighthead prop - finds himself back in that selfsame No.3 shirt for SA's third Pool D fixture.

De Villiers said his decision to bring back Habana, one of South African rugby's most loyal servants, had nothing to do with it being an ideal opportunity for the winger to better the all-time try-scoring record he shares with Joost van der Westhuizen.

Habana - who will start ahead of the in-form JP Pietersen - has not scored a Test try in over a year (since scoring against Italy in Witbank in June 2010) and will, no doubt, be hoping to pick up his 39th, and record-breaking, Test try when he takes to the field against the Namibians.

"Bryan brings something to the team. He's a bundle of energy that we need there, so I'm glad to give him a run again," said the Bok boss.

"I don't think you people understand the make-up of this team and what is really going on in this team.

"If you can find one player in this team that will put his personal interest above that of the team, then I'll personally send him home."

One man who certainly continues to put the team before his own interests is powerful Sharks back row forward Willem Alberts.

Having appeared off the bench against Wales and Fiji - at flank and lock, respectively - Alberts will start in the No.6 shirt (just his second ever Test start in Green & Gold) and also serve as second-row cover in the continued absence of Matfield and Johann Muller (both of whom have hamstring injuries).

"We are really getting thin [at lock] at this moment," admitted De Villiers.

"Injuries are really the biggest part of our stay here, so we just have to see what Willem can bring when he starts to, because we don't estimate what will happen going forward."