Springbok No 8 Pierre Spies has been ruled out of The Rugby Championship due to an injury he sustained playing Super Rugby last month.
SA Rugby
Spies, who played in his 50th Test against England in Port Elizabeth in June, injured his left ring finger in the Super Rugby Qualifier against the Crusaders last month.
According to Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts, initial X-rays did not reveal any significant abnormality.
“However, on review and further investigation, including a CT scan and assessment by a hand specialist in Cape Town, it was found that Pierre had a fracture into the joint,” said Roberts.
“Surgical correction is needed in order to prevent permanent damage. The usual rehabilitation time for these kinds of injuries is eight to 12 weeks.”
At this stage, Spies will not be replaced in the Springbok squad currently preparing for the opening Test of The Rugby Championship, on Saturday at Newlands, against Argentina.
“We have faith in the players in the squad and will consider the call-up of a possible replacement at a later stage,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Losing Pierre is obviously a setback, because he is the most experienced member of our forward pack, but we will never take any risks with injured players.
Injuries are part of the game and this now provides an opportunity for someone else to stake a claim.”
Spies joins four other Springbok loose forwards that are currently not available for selection. Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brüssow are injured, while Ryan Kankowski is not available because of club commitments in Japan.
Furthermore another player that was in the selection frame, Duane Vermeulen, will only return to action for Western Province in the Currie Cup this weekend after a four-month layoff because of a knee injury.
Lock forward Eben Etzebeth took full part in training on Tuesday.
The Springbok team for the first Test will be named on Wednesday.
Never nice when injury is the reason for a change to the team, but maybe underlying a blessing in disguise, as many pundits have been shouting their furious lungs out for Pierre Spies to be dropped.
Well there you have it chaps… now I just hope the balance in the loosie combination is chosen well and with that clear balance in mind… someone as close to a fetcher as possible at Openside (No 6 in SA’s case), a demon tackler and effective strike runner at Blindside (No 7 in SA’s case) and a man with golden hands who tackles and strike runs the shit out of the opposition at No 8.
Who would YOU have as your loosies now AND who do YOU think Heyneke Meyer will select as loosies?
Fortunately not a life threatening injury, could have been worse, but get well soon Pierre.
[I am not a Spies fan, but one should remember when criticising our players that they don’t pick themselves, I cannot imagine any player in Green and Gold out there not swelling with pride and giving his all for our country and us rugby lovers (‘King Luke the Puke’ being the only exception, of course).Remember Jouba and his broken hand in World Cup 1995?]
2 @ Pietman:
Yip, who would ever forget Jouba’s broken hand, the hand guard he had to wear… the special chamber he had to sit in to speed up recovery… and ultimately his solid, solid hands from fullback in the Final.
@ grootblousmile:
Short and sweet,I want an 8th man who can play like an 8th man, e.g. Kanko vs the Reds in semi-final 2012, the best we have seen all year from any player in that position, including Kieran Reid.
4 @ Pietman:
Who Piet… seeing as Kanko is in Japland?
What about a Loosie combo now of 6 Siya Kolisi, 7 Marcell Coetzee & 8 Willem Alberts…
… or 6 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Jacques Potgieter & 8 Willem Alberts…
… or 6 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Willem Alberts, 8 Keegan Daniel…
I think Heyneke will go for 6 Marcell Coetzee, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 8 Willem Alberts…. I feel it in my water….
I’m worried about Jacques Potgieter’s tackling though… the energy is there, the intention is there… the malkoppie misses a few tackles though, specially close around the rucks and mauls… and near the tryline in those situations.
Keegan or Kolisi spring to mind, or CJ Stander or Josh Strauss, depending who the other two loosies are.
@ grootblousmile:
@6
Yes, I also feel it will be Alberts.
7 @ Pietman:
Nobody will be called up to the Bokke squad right now, so THAT rules out CJ Stander and Josh Strauss for now…
Very bad luck for Spies, hope it comes right soon, you don’t wish injuries on anyone. He will struggle to make his way back into the squad, I fear
Lyk my al Spoony en YT se spelde in die Spies pop indruk oor die jare het nou uiteindelik gewerk …. hulle is seker nou besig om die MS pop vol spelde te druk met die hoop dat hy ook beseer word. 😉
Daniel is seker die volgende agsteman in die tou, met JP of Siya op die bank.
@ grootblousmile:
@9
I am aware of that, this was my wish list!
From the present squad? I’d go for Daniel, no question, and leave Alberts at #7 with Coetzee #6 (your third option above).
11: en Loosehead is seker in trane met sy gunsteling speler nou beseer ..
Wonder of CJ Stander met HM gesels het en toe gehoor het hy is 100ste op die lys van toekomstige bok losvoorspelers, toe besluit hy om te waai na Munster ?
13 @ bdb:
Loosehead huil nou soos ‘n babatjie, netnou drink hy soos ‘n babatjie…. en vanaand laat kots hy soos ‘n siek babatjie…. hahaha
The comments on News24 shows how bad sportsmanship South Africans can have, really sad.
Pierre was 1st choice for our last 3 National coaches, so i feel that he is a BIG BLOW to the Springboks.
The style he plays and how he is utilized is wrong.
Whoever comes in will have to play to that game plan.
I dont like the Bok game plan.
15: hehe, dink nie hy gaan oor hierdie terugslag kom nie – eers Juan Smith, toe Schalk, toe Brussow en nou Spies, die man gaan platgeslaan wees.
16: as ons meer kan speel soos die 1ste helfte van die 2de toets teen die Ingelse, dan lyk dinge goed. Behoort die Arg en Aus te wen, die groot toets gaan teen die AB’s wees, soos gewoonlik.
17 @ bdb:
Ja, die 2de Halfte van die 1ste Engeland Toets en die 1ste Halfte van die 2de Engeland Toets was blerrie goed…. maar gaan kyk mooi wat is TOE gedoen, die Bokke het besit gehou, nie doelloos weggeskop nie.
Ons sal more die Burger se nuus moet dophou…
Daar kan dalk iets wees soos “Befaamde Kaapse Chef en Restauranteer treur homself dood in 1 woeste nag”
Of
Dit kan in die algemeen so wees…
“Alkohol verkope in die hele Kaap ruk hand uit – Gisteraand in die omstreke van die Weskaap, kon drankwinkels, shebiens en kroeë nie die pas volhou nie, as gevolg van ‘n onverklaarbare aanvraag vir Vonkelwyn, Tequila, goedkoop massawyn en alkohol in die algemeen.
Twee bergies is gearresteer vir rusverstoring nadat hulle heelnag ‘Spoes is Uit’ geskree het, om een of ander onverklaarbare rede.
Nog nooit het die Kaap so skielik aan die party gegaan nie, dit was behoorlik asof iemand die Super Rugby Trofee in die glaskas te Nuweland laat beland het.
Teen publikasie hiervan was die rede vir die verskynsels nog onbekend”
@ bdb:
O ja, ek vergeet CJ waai mos ook, jammerte.
Okay just wrote a long post and it has gone missing in cyberspace.
Here goes again.
Meyer should try and get Kanko back from Japan. He is our BEST we have in the country by a long way. He is a genuine 8. Just to put it into perspective he played only 5 full games for Sharks this year due to injury and Planet Rugby named their S15 team of the season and Kanko was their number 8 they chose, even above Reid. And that was with Kanko only playing 5 games the whole season. That says a lot. Hope Meyer gets him back for the away tour to Oz and Nz we will need him. For Arg this weekend doubt he will get him back or for the away game against Arg.
I hope Meyer goes with all Sharks loosies. Keegan was also outstanding at 8 this year and with the players all having played together they will gel straight up. Keegan 8 Alberts 7 Marcell 6.
Alberts 8 Marcell 7 Kolisi 6
That would work as well. But I perfer a faster 8 and would have Keegan at 8. So hope Meyer does select the Sharks loosies.
12 @ Pietman:
Jeez Piet, Never even read your post and I have said exactly the same in mine. Great minds think a like boet…hehe.
I would go with Keegan this weekend at 8 Alberts 7 Marcell 6. Remember hearing Matfield rate Keegan highly whether he played at 8 or 6.
20 @ Puma:
Oompie Puma, just ONE fair question…. we know you want Lambie at flyhalf, Ruan Pienaar at scrumhalf, is upset that JP Pietersen is injured, want the whole front row as Sharks… and now want the Sharks trio as loosies.
Are you not missing out on wanting some Sharks locks AND having Ludik play at fullback as well?
I mean, then we can have 14 Sharks starting, with an ex-Shark in Pat Cilliers on the bench too… and maybe Paul Jordaan could be drafted into the squad to replace Jean de Villiers too…
What do you think Oompie Puma?
Hahahaha
23 @ grootblousmile:
hahahaha. Not a bad idea……
@ grootblousmile:
@ grootblousmile:
@ grootblousmile:
@ grootblousmile:r
Sal more die die ‘Burger’ moet lees!
Daai twee dooie bergies het seker gesneuwel voor SanLangkop hophuis, van die laaste lekseltjies uit die honderde ’empties’ in die asdrom na die party….
@ Puma:
@22
No problem, I saw you coming!
Some of the questions asked to HM on SA Rugby
Question: Hi Heyneke Pre-isolation we were neck and neck with NZ. What do you think has led to their current superiority? Also, now that Morne Steyn has, since 2010, proved himself to be nothing but a flyhalf who used to be able to kick, who do you see as our starting 10 for the Rugby Championship? Also, 8th man surely can’t be Spies, can it? – Wes
Heyneke answers: It’s tough to compare us with New Zealand at the moment – they’ve had the same coaching staff for eight years now and Steve Hansen is now their head coach, while we just started. And we’ve not played them this year. In the last eight years though, we’ve won a fair share of the Tests against them. But they have good players and good structures and will always be a tough opponent. And on the team selection – at this stage I don’t want to say too much, because the starting team will only be named next week.
Look Spies was good in the lineout against the English I give him that. We will miss him at the back of the line. Kanko was sublime for Sharks there. So it is a massive pity he is off to Japan. For now I would definitely go with Keegan against the Argies. Against Wallabies and ABs. We will have to try and get Kanko back for that tour. Or Vermeulen might be ready then. But not sure. Otherwise there is Josh Strauss too. For now our best bet is definitely go go with the Sharks loosies.
Gbs. I don’t rate Pogieter boeta. Not sure how he got selected into the squad to be honest.
Who ever Meyer selects really I will support them. As players never select themselves. WE only here to voice our own opinions and that really what it is, only a opinion. Meyer will select to play who he wants not who we want. So just have to support our boys no matter what.
Okay out of here now. Catch up tomorrow. Having a early night.
26 @ Pietman:
Yip we thought he same there Piet….hehe.
Okay out of here now. Have a very early morning meeting so need a early night. Catch up tomorrow.
Cheers everyone.
Maybe SARU can make a subtle swap and let the Bokke play in Black and White jerseys too…. and replace the Springbok emblem which has been on the cards for so long…. with something very fitting to South Africa and it’s politics….. wow, what about a Shark as the national emblem…… whoooop.
Flok!
Somebody’s got to bring these Sharks supporters back to mother earth…. oh wait, the Chiefs have already done it….
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