Springbok wing Bryan Habana has been ruled out of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup match against Fiji because of a knee injury and lock Johann Muller is in doubt.
Muller is in a race against time after injuring his hamstring in training leaving the Springboks with a potential depth problem in the second row.
“Bryan sustained a Petallar Tendon (knee) injury during last week’s match and will not be considered for selection,” said communications manager Andy Colquhoun.
While there should be no problem finding a suitable replacement for Habana, the real concern for the defending champions is in the second row where Muller has joined Victor Matfield (hamstring) and Bakkies Botha (foot) on the list of injured players.
Muller could not complete Tuesday’s training session and played no part in the team’s preparations the following day, thus further highlighting the crises the Boks are having at lock.
Sprinbok coach Peter De Villiers had previously said that he will call-up a replacement lock “sooner rather than later”.
The reason why De Villiers had not yet made the call is because Botha has been able to practice with the team over the last two days.
On Wednesday the Bulls lock was able to run with the rest of the team.
As a final resort flank Willem Alberts could be asked to cover at lock which would open a place in the team for Francois Louw.
A decision on who will replace the injured Jean de Villiers also has to be made and early indications are that Juan de Jongh could earn his first World Cup cap on Saturday, that is if team management does not decide to give Frans Steyn a run at centre where he plays most of his rugby for French Club Racing Metro.
Butch James is another contender for the number 12 jersey as that is the position where he finished last week’s match against Wales.
Is this just the roll of the dice or the result of poor player management over the last two years? Top players having played just to much S14/15 and test rugby?
Who is to be blamed for players being over played? Poor coaching with the result that top players had to play to safe the day? Otherwise it’s a disaster like the away games of this years tri-nations. Too much emphasis on winning S15?
Or is the ‘vark in die verhaal’ SARU for getting to Springboks to play so many matches and for the extended S15?
Did SARU really have a say in the matter or are they just a puppet in the hands of the broadcasting corporations?
Damn we’ve got Vermeulen, Bekker and Juan Smit sitting at home as well. Kruschner and Potgieter is injured as well.
Amazing – 4 top locks now crook. Creates a bit of a challenge!
Just go to Grey College, pick their locks and everything will be fine.
With all these injuries our lock cupboard is a bit bare
Hmmm and then we also have Flip who has become a walking yellow card lately!!! so do not know if he is a good option at all
Geez….injuries galore!
Have said from the start when they chose the squad for wc. We were a Lock short. My feeling Ruan should not have made the squad. He was not great on the away leg of Tri-Nations. We have enough utility backs with Hougaard, Aplon, Lambie and Odwa. All can play a few positions. So the need for Ruan there was not necessary. I would have taken Mostert instead. Said it straight after our squad was announced. Now look? We are a Lock short and Mostert would have fitted in just fine for the Fiji game.
@ McLook:1 – McLook,
Think it is a bit of everything. First of all I am always for sending our best Boks on tour for a test. But coming up to a world cup and in the world cup year I am so against us playing 3Nations. It should be dropped in a wc year. Also the eoyt just before, we probably should have rested some senior players. Victor has been overplayed totally. Also a few others.
Agree, I think it was let us win SuperRugby at any cost. Far too much was put into SR this year. In a world cup year they should shorten SR as well. Only play against our conference teams once and not home and away. That would help shorten it. Also to rotate as much as possible. Top Boks should be looked after in SR during a wc year. Some should have been rested totally for a few games during the SR. Looks like burn out stepping in right now. Or could it be something else. Could we be picking up these injuries during training? Cause some of our Boks that were not injured in the last test against the ABs were leaving our shores for NZ with injury niggles.
Watching video clips of Boks doing stretching exercises. Now a simple thing like that could cause it if not done properly or if it is over done. I know for a fact if one does not do those stretching exercises properly it can cause injuries. I know we need to be doing the streching exercises, but do it proper.
So for me it is a bit of everything right now causing our injuries.
A body can take so much before it breaks down (burn out) It happens in all sports.
Have said it many times. Rest is as important as training.
Think we should have sent for Mostert. Only thing then we have to send one of the injured players back. Which right now we don’t want to do if they can get over their injuries. Especially to key players like Matfield and Bakkies. BUT if we can only know if they will fully recover. Cause the replacements need training and game time with the squad.
Tough decisions will have to be made.
@ 4man:6 – Yip not good news. Makes our chances even more slim.
Habana Out.
A Blow or a Blessing?
As for the locks, well Div must reap what he has sown. His refusal to introduce new blood to the squad because of his aging band of brothers that he has stuck by mist now be seen to have been an error of judgement.
For months I’ve been saying that it is VERY risky to go to the WC without adequate cover in the second row, and that the abrasive nature of a tournament such as this would in all likelihood find out those carrying “hidden” injuries.
Once again, as in the 3N away leg, we’ve bought at least one lock on tour who is carrying an injury (Bakkies) and may play no part whatsoever in the tournament.
The cowboy way in which this management team makes decisions borders on the ridiculous.
Any normal person in business would have been fired ages ago.
Oh and good evening to all of the regulars still here.
I can honestly tell you all that “Orkney snork nie”.
@ Scrumdown:
What are you doing in Orkney boet ?
12@ Blouste:
Doing some work for Anglo Gold Ashanti.
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