Pierre Spies has been withdrawn from the South Africa squad for their European tour after undergoing an emergency operation on a broken finger.

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Spies, who plays at flanker or number eight, suffered the injury during the Blue Bulls' Currie Cup campaign and has been replaced in the Springboks party by Jean Deysel of the Sharks.

South Africa line up against Leicester on Friday before their Test meeting with France in Toulouse on November 13. They face Italy in Udine a week later before facing Grand Slam champions Ireland in Dublin on November 28.

Squad: John Smit, Victor Matfield, Andries Bekker, Bakkies Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Alistair Hargreaves, Ashley Johnson, Ryan Kankowski, Bandise Maku, Tendai Mtawarira, Dewald Potgieter, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Davon Raubenheimer, Danie Rossouw, Jean Deysel Gurthro Steenkamp, Heinke van der Merwe, Heini Adams, Meyer Bosman, Juan de Jongh, Fourie du Preez, Jaque Fourie, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Adrian Jacobs, Zane Kirchner, Odwa Ndungane, Jongikhaya Nokwe, Wynand Olivier, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Earl Rose, Morne Steyn, Riaan Viljoen.