Bath Rugby will send a delegation to South Africa later this month as they search for a replacement for Luke Watson, with Springbok flanker Francois Louw understood to be the main target.

A senior management team from Bath, likely to include director of rugby Sir Ian McGeechan, will fly to Cape Town to hold talks.

A year-and-a-half ago, Bath persuaded current club captain Watson to leave Cape Town-based Western Province and enjoy a spell in England. With Watson having announced last month that he will return to South Africa at the end of this season, Bath's sights have again turned to the Western Cape.

Loose forward Louw, who enjoyed a busy summer with the Springboks after making his debut against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in June, ticks many of the boxes for Bath.

Having played in the final of the Currie Cup in South Africa, and with a recent TriNations campaign under his belt, he has experience of the big stage. And at 25 years of age, it is reasonable for the club to assume the best is yet to come from the loose forward.

He is of a similar mould to Watson, too – unbudging at the breakdown but comfortable with ball in hand. The only difference is that at 6ft 3in and 17st 9lb, he is a couple of inches and a couple of stone bigger than his compatriot.

Louw's path to Bath could also be smoothed by his friendship with Watson.

The pair played together at Western Province and the club's associated Super 15 franchise, The Stormers, and have remained in touch while Watson has been in England. Louw, who has chalked up 55 appearances for Western Province and 20 for the Stormers, is also friendly with Bath's South Africa fly-half Butch James.

As a rising star in the Springbok camp, with seven caps so far, Louw is odds-on to feature in South Africa's World Cup campaign in September, with a move to Bath – should it happen – occurring in November.

A source close to South African rugby told the Chronicle: "Louw has been mentioned as a replacement for Luke Watson."

While not naming names, Bath chief executive Nick Blofeld admitted South Africa was the focus of a lot of Bath's recruitment efforts.

"We are looking far and wide to get the right replacement for Luke," he said.

"We have to look at international- calibre replacements. If that means travelling, we will.

"I'm very keen on having meetings face to face with players before they sign, if possible.

"Doing that has become a bit of a planning issue but it's easier to fly out to South Africa [than other southern hemisphere countries] because of the small time difference.

"There are players we have admired and followed for a while and as soon as Luke said he was going back to South Africa, we looked into who was out of contract."

Blofeld added that online phone system Skype, which allows people to see one another on screen while they talk, had also been utilised by the club to communicate with overseas players and agents.

Meanwhile, Bath are rumoured to be interested in signing All Black inside back Luke McAlister, who is currently with Auckland side North Harbour after a spell with Sale Sharks.

With current first-choice fly-half James almost certain to leave at the end of the season, McAlister is one of a number of international fly-halves with whom Bath have been linked.