South Africa have called Blue Bulls fullback Zane Kirchner into the Springboks Rugby World Cup squad as a replacement for the injured Frans Steyn.
Twenty-Seven-year-old Kirchner will join the squad in Wellington on Tuesday morning in preparation for Sunday’s quarter-final.
Steyn injured his left shoulder in the final few minutes of the Springboks’ 13-5 victory over Samoa in Auckland on Friday, and would return to South Africa for surgery.
“I am bitterly disappointed,” said Steyn.
“I don’t know how the injury happened – it was at a ruck when I was cleaning someone out late in the game. I was enjoying our campaign and the tournament, and to have it ended like this is very disappointing.
“I’d just like to wish the squad all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
Steyn scored tries in each of the Springboks’ first three matches in the tournament as well as adding two long-range penalties for a haul of 21 points in his second Rugby World Cup.
Four years ago he became the youngest player to win a Rugby World Cup winners’ medal as a 20-year-old in South Africa’s victory in France.
Kirchner has won 14 Springboks caps – the last of them coming against England in November. He was a member of the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup preliminary squad but missed out on initial selection for the Tri-Nations tournament because of injury.
He has since returned to fitness playing for the Blue Bull in the Currie Cup.
Mmmmm, not a good choice to go over, but he should not get game time anyway.
Jean will slot in at inside center and Lambie will retain his spot at fullback.
What worries me much more are the injury worries about Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, JP Pietersen.
Also still worried about Victor and Bakkies…
@ grootblousmile:
At least it isn’t Wynand! 😉
I would rather have WO than Sideshow Bob.
He wont get near the match 22
Though my heart goes out to the young man, the flight home will offer Frans the opportunity to reflect on his pre-match press conference bravado.
‘Pray for me?’
We better hope Pietersen and Hougaard is Ok, we will need them against Oz, especially Hougaard.
This does not imbue me with confidence….but what alternatives are there that know the patterns and game plan!
Why not Riaan Viljoen, the closest to FS we have at the moment?
Zane is just another ‘up-and-under and hope for the best’ fullback, or maybe PdeV wants him on center?
Dont know what my friend Peter wants to do with him, will find out soon. Just hope he plays like he did last EOY tour in that unfamiliar role at center, when his button is pressed. That was one of his more stabble performances ever in a Bok jersey.
Francois Hougaard’s challenge for a start at left wing ahead of Habana will depend on how the 2007 IRB Player of the Year gets over his injury as well on how Hougaard himself recovers from the bump to the face that forced him off the field against Samoa.
Hougaard is still there, hope he recovers in time
They showed a tweet from hougaard on superfan yesterday, and he said we needn’t panic, he is feeling much better and isn’t going anywhere.
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