Damian de Allende
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer may find himself considering a change in plan for the midfield he was going to select for the opening match of the international season against the World XV at Newlands due to the injury concern over Damian de Allende.
The centre suffered a knee injury during the second half of the Stormers’ 21-19 win over the Sharks in Durban at the weekend, and Meyer said on Sunday that he was concerned about his condition.
“The doctor hasn’t looked at him yet but he is limping and it appears he has suffered a knee ligament injury. I was only informed of it late on Saturday night, after the squad had been announced,” said Meyer.
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A full rundown of the injury situation will be given to the media in Cape Town later on Sunday, once the team doctor, Craig Roberts, has had a chance to examine all the players.
It was no secret that Meyer was intending to give De Allende his debut opportunity against the World XV, so the injury, if it is confirmed, will be a big blow to his plans and will prompt a rethink in the midfield. Frans Steyn would be the choice of many to wear the No 12 in the absence of the injured skipper, Jean de Villiers, who was at the team hotel on Sunday on crutches, but after his heavy workload with the Sharks, and noting that he is carrying a knee injury himself, the big utility back is likely to be managed during the June international season.
Jan Serfontein would be the likely starting option then, with either JJ Engelbrecht or Juan de Jongh, who has regained his best form for the Stormers and will be hard to ignore, being the likely candidates to fit in at No 13. Meyer did speak at the training camp in Durban last week of considering De Allende as an outside centre, but he would have been unlikely to do that in De Allende’s first match for the Boks.
If De Allende is ruled out for this weekend’s game, the outlook for the remaining matches against Wales twice and Scotland will depend on the extent of his injury. If it is a grade 1 tear, he will be out for a maximum of two weeks, which will mean he could be available for the later matches, and in which case it will not be necessary to call for a replacement.
However if the injury is more serious, a replacement will be called for, and in that case it could represent an opportunity for Lions flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff, who Meyer admitted on Sunday had come very close to selection. There is enough midfield cover for the Boks even without De Allende, as Steyn and Serfontein can both play inside centre, while there are three outside centres in the form of Engelbrecht, De Jongh and S’bura Sithole.
Meyer will be holding breath on Monday that there aren’t any more injuries unveiled during the medical examinations. Some players were hanging to their health by a thread in Durban last week, and most of them have played tough Super Rugby derby matches since then.
Meyer admitted that he was concerned by the apparent fatigue shown by several of his players in the coastal derby between the Sharks and Stormers in particular.
“It’s always a concern. I think Super Rugby is a great competition, but with the double round of derbies, it’s very tough on the players. The one thing I believe is that the players always lift themselves when they put on the Springbok jersey.”
“But at the end of the day they are humans as well, and we therefore have to manage them properly. A lot of guys didn’t train at the camp in Durban. One or two of the newcomers will definitely make their debuts. While you don’t want to throw people in at the deep end, one or two of them will start. But preferably you would want to play them off the bench initially, which is why I am sorry some of the experienced guys aren’t available.”
“I don’t believe in experiments (at this level) but there are a lot of injuries, so if guys aren’t ready you have to give others a chance. It’s up to the guys now to perform. We can’t make excuses. We just have to get on with it.”
Providing he is one of the players who reports fit on Monday, Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen is likely to start at flyhalf against the World XV as Meyer begins the process of finalising his choice for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship that follows. It is understood Meyer, who knows what incumbent No 10 Morne Steyn can give him, wants to give Goosen an extended run and a chance to settle after he played only a few tests before getting injured in 2012.