Victor Matfield is over his injury problems and will rejoin the Springbok squad when they get together for the Australasian leg of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, while Marcel van der Merwe has been called up for the injured Frans Malherbe.
Furthermore, Willem Alberts has also been drafted back into the squad, pending a fitness test on Thursday when the squad gets together in Johannesburg. Both Alberts and Matfield were part of the initial 30-man squad, but missed out on the victories over Argentina in Pretoria and Salta because of injury.
sarugby
Van der Merwe will join the rest of the touring party in Johannesburg on Thursday. Malherbe will have to undergo surgery on his fractured ankle and is likely to miss the rest of the season because of this injury.
With Matfield and Alberts, if passed fit, returning for the two-week tour to Australia and New Zealand, Warren Whiteley and Juan Smith will drop out. Smith, however, will remain on standby if Alberts is deemed unable to tour.
“Victor is over his injury and has been declared fit to travel with us for the next two tests, while we’re awaiting a final verdict on Willem,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“It will be good to have them back. Willem has been part of the squad for the last number of seasons and Victor showed he can still add a lot of value when he returned to the Bok fold earlier this year.
“Losing Frans is a huge setback and my heart bleeds for him, because he’s done well since returning from a long injury lay-off recently which saw him miss the June tests.
“It’s also a big disappointment for Frans, whose involvement with the squad was cut short because of injury last November as well, but Marcel has been with us before and will slot in seamlessly. He provides specialist tighthead cover as Tendai Mtawarira, Gurthrö Steenkamp and Trevor Nyakane are specialist looseheads.”
Meyer added that Whiteley had impressed him immensely during his week with the Springboks and that Smith had made a massive contribution during his time with the squad in the last fortnight.
“Warren and Juan know exactly where they stand and it was great to work with them, even if it was only for a limited period of time,” said Meyer.
The Springboks returned from Argentina on Monday and will enjoy a short break before reconvening in Johannesburg on Thursday. They are scheduled to depart for Perth on Saturday.
Springbok squad:
Forwards: Willem Alberts, Bakkies Botha, Schalk Brits, Marcell Coetzee, Lodewyk de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Adriaan Strauss, Marcel van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen.
Backs: Damian de Allende, Jean de Villiers (captain), Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Patrick Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Jan Serfontein, Morné Steyn.
@ Nama:55
i think jdj is the obvious choice but he is not in the squad.
@ Nama:58
sithole will get his chance i hope but he is more of a natural wing.
@ Nama:
Don’t call me that.
😆
Look I don’t think Heyneke is trying to be contrary.
If he thought those guys would cut the mustard he’d go with them.
He clearly doesn’t rate what’s on offer at 13.
@ gunther:
😆 😆
Quick on your feet.
@ Nama:
Just like him.
😆
@ grootblousmile:
They all have their weaknesses. I just can’t see how any of them would be kakker than these retreaded 13’s since they are used to playing in that position.
I quite like S’Bura Sithole as a No 13, did a great job for the Cell C Sharks in Super Rugby there for a while.
He’s injured now though, it seems
@ gunther:
But the guys he thought would cut it, clearly don’t. Should he not reassess and give one of them a go?
i still reckon we should go
10 steyn
12 lambie
13 jdv
JDJ is the best option at 13.
I like Jordaan but he can’t defend.
Janneman pic is next to stampkar in the dictionary.
But HM don’t know how to count to 4….
@ Charo:
Either that or…
10. Steyn
12. De Allende
13. JdV
But please, don’t play JdV (12) and Janneman (13) together. It would be a disaster just like the JdV/De Allende experiment.
@ Jeraldjay:
You’ve said it.
69 @ Charo:
Jeeez, you Tjarks okes ARE desperate to find a Bokke spot for Shampoo Poodle (Lambie).
He’s a 10, for farks steaks!
@ grootblousmile:73
in nz/oz, 10 and 12 are often interchangeable.
it is only in sa/eng that the 12 is a vokmaarvoort oke
@ grootblousmile:
The jury is still out on whether Lambie is a 10 or 15…
75 @ Jeraldjay:
… or a Rugby Player for that matter…. hehehe
On the serious side, he would be my backup No 10 for now.
@ grootblousmile:
He was brilliant that one time in that Currie Cup final against Province a few years back…
😆
while i was watching the salta game, i suddenly realised why we were so kuk and couldn’t get momentum.
the boks continued to form the static pod in midfield which slowed everything up and allowed the argies to re-align.
only when marcel came on did we see forwards driving forward gaining metres and setting up good ball.
ok, this tactic has a degree of risk to it as a player can get isolated and turn ball over but we were going nowhere with the conservative pod.
it looks like we are the last international team still playing this tactic and it is not working.
@ grootblousmile:
@ grootblousmile:
54 W3ello done &n txs GBS
79 @ ryecatcher:
She answered back and said she would join the muppits here!
@ grootblousmile:
79 great news
Time for a Music Thread tonight, what says you lot?
78 @ Charo:
There are certainly some stoid tactics which needs getting rid of… but I would think shoring up the scrums, lineouts and proper balance in the loosies deserve 1st attention now.
Nama wrote:
58
I knew you’ll pick him! 😆
But so did JW?
😀
Oh so it’s a racial thing
Why didn’t you say so?
De Jonghs had a go before and he’s been average.
But then maybe average is all we have in that position.
😆
@ grootblousmile:
Nortier will be like a daschund with two cocks.grootblousmile wrote:
grootblousmile wrote:
83
In that case, HM has to hurry up?
Because at 0:6 he’ll be gone?
🙁
@ Hondo:
Hondkak have you figured out the difference between Dooley and Ackford yet?
@ gunther:
WOW!!
Maybe it’s a “size” thing or a “numbers” thing. Who knows what that fool is thinking.
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