South Africa are facing an anxious wait over the fitness of Bryan Habana and Andries Bekker ahead of their match with Argentina in Mendoza on Saturday. Bryan Habana even disbarked in Mendoza on crutches and sporting a moonboot on one leg.
Both players have rolled their ankles and neither trained on Monday. The Springboks are hopeful that both will be fit for their match against the Pumas with team doctor Craig Roberts saying that they will “make an assessment on their availability later in the week”.
If Andries Bekker fails to make the match, then the Springboks will just revert back to Juandré Kruger, who capably stood in whilst Andries Bekker was injured before. Questions will have to start being asked whether the Springboks can continue to carry a passenger and perrenial sick-note like Andries Bekker, notwithstanding what his form might be from time to time. We already know that Andries Bekker’s lower back is managed and that his training schedule has been altered as a result of that management, but is that fair under the circumstances, to him and to South Africa, to molly-coddle a half injured player… just because he is 2.08m tall?
Bismarck du Plessis will undergo surgery on Tuesday to try and rectify the serious damage to the ligaments in his right knee. The original prognosis from Meyer was between six and seven months and Boks doctor Roberts claims that the surgery “will rule him out for the rest of the season as the usual rehabilitation for such an injury is up to eight months to come back from that”.
Are you sure it’s Adriaan Strauss who is under an injury cloud? I saw on the SA Rugby site, that it was Habana, and Bekker??
1 @ JanCheetahSpringbokBallas4eva:
From what I can see it is Bekker and Habana.
I have fixed and altered the Article… it’s Habana and Andries Bekker who have both rolled their ankles… Adriaan Strauss seems to be fine, no problem
@ JanCheetahSpringbokBallas4eva:
@ grootblouBokJan:Strauss is what espy.com said – just copied and pasted article. However also read on another link Bekker was injured
4 @ Just For Kicks:
No problem, ESPN has also since changed their tune, it seems
If Habana is walking on crutches and has a moon boot on then surely he should have stayed at home to get proper rest, maybe if it was the last game of the Championship against Kiwis or Aus to win it then yes you would want your best winger involved but not for this one, he played so much in the Super 15 and could have done with proper recuperation without the hassle of international travel, hope this doesn’t flare up again and he is not available for games later in the Championship. This would have been a good game to give JJ a start, could have had Aplon on the bench as insurance.
What I can’t understand about the squad in Argentina is that is has 7 front rowers in it and only 4 loose forwards, yes sure frontrow is really specialist but why do you need that many playes to cover the same amount of front row positions as you have to cover in the loose? Thought maybe it was because they felt at a push Juandre Kruger could do a job at 7 but that doesn’t make sense if its likely he will be needed at lock if Bekker is not over his injury.
6 @ BullscotBokJan:
Or… as the plan appears to be, have the wings as Hougie & Mvovo… seeing as there is already mention of Ruan Pienaar starting at scrummie.
JJ could have been on the bench again covering wing and outside centre, with Lambie to cover fullback and flyhalf and inside centre, Jano vermaak is there already as third scrummie.. but I would go for a 5 / 2 split between forwards and backs on the bench
8 @ grootblouBokJan:
That plan with Hougaard then makes taking injured Habana over seem even more questionable Gbs. I may have it wrong but did Mvovo not also come off with a wee knock? Is the mention of Pienaar starting just something the fans want or are the noises of this coming from the Bok camp too? Am surprised that there has not been as much gnashing of teeth over the omission of Kolisi from the squad as one would have thought there would have been. Still think only having 4 loose forwards is a bit of a gamble what if one of the gets injured during practice this week, will Burden then be drafted as emergency cover at loose forward in the way Fourie was at the Stormers?
9 @ BullscotBokJan:
I’m not sure… easier to pick up the phone here and just ask… over there, not so simple.
But you’re right, looks like taking Habana half injured is indeed questionable.
The other reason why only 4 loosies are there and it being crazy is because the one area where the Bokke suffered the most last Saturday, was at the breakdown points…. where the loosies have to be more effective. I would have liked to see Kolisi on the bench in stead of Jacques Potgieter… but he’s here in SA, and will play for WP this week, unfortunately.
@ BullscotBokJan:
I was hoping Burden did not get called up, the Sharks are getting more and more depleted as a team, 16 out and reports of another one or 2 injuries, it’s crazy
11 @ MaakieSharksAlmalBokkeseJan:
Gooooooooo Blue Bulllllssssssss!
WP could use all the help we can get at the moment.
It makes sense as Kolisi was a late call up so the rest are in front of him in the queue.
11 @ MaakieSharksAlmalBokkeseJan:
remember we have also got a lot of players at the Boks and have injuries too, and are still trying to adjust to adjust to the heart of our coaching/management staff being ripped out.
Ha I see you’re getting the excuses in early Sharkie
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