Francois Steyn
The good news is that the chronic knee injury that Frans Steyn is currently playing with won’t get worse and stop him from playing, but the bad news is that it is going to have to be managed for the rest of his playing career.
Steyn was the subject of quite a lot of consternation when Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said he was concerned about his condition during last week’s national training camp in Durban. However, the Bok management denied suggestions in some media forums that they were unhappy with the Sharks for playing Steyn through the injury, and it now appears the Boks might manage Steyn in the same way the Sharks have – by limiting the load placed on his affected knee in training.
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“We’ve been in constant contact with the Sharks medical staff and have liaised with them over Frans’ knee,” said Bok team doctor Craig Roberts.
“Frans has a cartilage missing in his knee, and the injury flares up when he is kicking. The Sharks have been managing his load during training, and we will do the same. It is not an injury that will progress. It relates to fluid on the knee and it is just something that he is going to have to manage for the rest of his career.”
“It is not a cartilage disc, so we cannot operate on it. Frans has had several knee operations, but this is not a condition that can be solved through surgery. It is on his right leg, his kicking leg. As I say, it relates to his kicking. It is when he kicks a lot that he has a problem with it.”
However as an indication that Steyn could benefit from a rest, Roberts said that an off-season break would help Steyn as the condition would be alleviated when he is not playing or training.