Joseph Dweba has started in three tests at hooker this year, but he has been 'relegated' to the South Africa 'A' team for the year-end tour.

Malcolm Marx, 28 with 55 test caps, and Mbongeni Mbonambi (31 and 52 tests) are the two frontline hookers.

Deon Fourie, 36 and three caps, is listed as a utility forward. That covers both loose forward and hooker.

Dweba (27, four tests) and Andre-Hugo Venter (uncapped Stormers front row forward) are the specialist hookers in the 'A.'

South Africa Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus confirmed that Fourie was selected ahead of Dweba in the pecking order for hookers.

"We had opportunities during the Rugby Championship," Erasmus said of Dweba - who started in the losses to New Zealand (35-23) at Ellispark and Australia (25-17) in Adelaide.

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It was obvious there are aspects of his game that require attention - especially the lineouts.

It also was glaringly obvious in the Stormers' 31-22 come-from-behind win over the Lions at Ellis Park last weekend that his set-piece game needs some improvement.

The Stormers were trailing 22-10, when Jean-Jacques Kotze replaced the Bok at hooker early in the second half.

Once the lineouts were sorted, the Stormers produced a shutout of the Lions.

"People will say you need to give guys an opportunity and see where they are at," Erasmus said. "They must grow and get better from there. Deon Fourie is a real option to take to the World Cup, just like Schalk Britz was [in 2019]. We have three hookers in Malcolm [Marx], Bongi [Mbongeni Mbonambi] and Deon [Fourie]. Deon scrums and also does lineouts and mauling at hooker for us at the moment."

He explained that the SA 'A' team has two hookers - Dweba and Andre-Hugo Venter, with Bulls youngster Jan-Hendrik Wessels selected as a loosehead prop. He can also fill in at hooker.

"We have good stock at hooker for the six games [on tour]," Erasmus said of the encounters against Ireland, France, Italy and Ireland - with mid-week matches against Munster and the Bristol Bears for the SA 'A' team.

Dweba will have the two mid-week matches to show what improvements he has made to the obvious shortcomings in his game.