Juan Smith close to Springboks return

Loose forward Juan Smith is on the verge of a return to the South African national side 18 months after he was forced to retire through injury.

Toulon have announced on their website that Smith, along with Bryan Habana and Bakkies Botha, will be released for a Springbok camp in Johannesburg on August 4.

Smith, who last played for his country in 2010, had to step away from the game after failing to recover from an Achilles injury.

However, the 32-year-old made a remarkable recovery and signed with Toulon in time for the 2013-14 season, helping them to win the Heineken Cup.