Buenos Aires - He is back as the first-choice Springbok scrumhalf for this tour of Argentina, Wales and France, but Bolla Conradie knows that his battle to re-establish himself as the country's first choice next year is going to have to start at home.

And for now, that home looks like it will remain Cape Town, as Conradie appears poised to reject an offer from the Central Unions and the Cheetahs to play his rugby out of the Free State in 2006.

"At this stage I have yet to sign a contract with Province, and as you know, I have been weighing up another option now for about two months.

It has been tempting to move, but at the end of the day my heart is too blue and white and I think I am going to stay where I am," said Conradie.

'I think I am going to stay where I am'

The biggest obstacle for Conradie has been the presence in his home union of another top class scrumhalf in the form of Neil de Kock, who himself has done time as South Africa's first-choice No 9.

This last Currie Cup season it was De Kock who played as first choice at WP, and whereas in the Super 12 the coaches had implemented a rotation policy to ensure both players got maximum exposure, Conradie spent most of the competition sitting on the bench.

It would not have helped Conradie's confidence to read a quote from his new coach Kobus van der Merwe early in the Currie Cup.

Explaining the decision to give De Kock an extended run in the WP side, Van der Merwe said that De Kock was the best scrumhalf in the province by some distance.

But that is a view that is clearly not shared by Bok coach Jake White, for he did not waste any time in letting it be known that Conradie would be his first choice in the wake of the injuries to Fourie du Preez and Enrico Januarie.

Those two have established themselves as the first choices at national level, but that is something Conradie would like to change during the course of this tour.

He has not forgotten that he was the preferred scrumhalf ahead of Du Preez when he last played for the Boks in the Tri-Nations decider against Australia in Durban in August of 2004.

Conradie teams up in Saturday's Test against Argentina with Andre Pretorius, who has now fully recovered from the injury that threatened his participation before the team left South Africa on Sunday.

His return is one of five changes to the Bok side for the Puma Test.

Schalk Burger is playing only off the bench, which has offered a starting opportunity for Solly Tyibilika, while Jacques Cronje and Conrad Jantjes both owe their place in the starting side to the unavailability of regulars. Jean de Villiers switches back to inside centre from the wing.

Springbok team:
Percy Montgomery, Conrad Jantjes, Jaques Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Andre Pretorius, Bolla Conradie, Jacques Cronje, Juan Smith, Solly Tyibilika, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, CJ van der Linde, John Smit (capt), Os du Randt.

Substitutes: Hanyani Shimange, Eddie Andrews, Albert van den Berg, Schalk Burger, Michael Claassens, Brent Russell, De Wet Barry.

• This article was originally published on page 24 of Daily News on November 03, 2005