Fourie du Preez sits out at training

There is renewed concern over the fitness of Fourie du Preez after the Springbok scrumhalf sat out Tuesday afternoon’s training session at People’s Park in Durban.

Whether or not Du Preez joined the session at a later stage (media were asked to leave after about 20 minutes of the session) is not known, but word from the Springbok camp was the he was in some pain after Monday’s session and that he would continue to be monitored.

Du Preez had been identified as 1 of the players in line to play a part in Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against the Pumas at Growthpoint Kings Park as he looks to prove his fitness for this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Team doctor Craig Roberts had said on Monday he was happy with Du Preez’s performance at training earlier that day, but that how he recovered from the training would be crucial in his availability for the weekend.

“But the test for him will be how he responds to the training load, but he may potentially be ready,” Roberts said.

Bok backline coach Ricardo Loubscher also sang Du Preez’s praises on Tuesday, and it sounded like Du Preez was a certainty for Saturday.

“It’s nice to have him back. He looked good in training yesterday (Monday),” said Loubscher.

“He’s a world class player, we don’t have to elaborate about him and what he brings to the table.

“He’s a nice guy in terms of the leadership to have in the team environment and we can’t wait to have him and for him to get going on Saturday.”

Bok coach Heyneke Meyer will announce his side on Wednesday.

Jesse Kriel

Midfield switch rather than axe for Jesse?

Whether it is this week against the Pumas in Durban or the following week against the same opponents in Buenos Aires, Jean de Villiers is set to return to a Springbok midfield that has shone brightly in his absence during the 1st weeks of the international season.

The 34-year-old De Villiers is needed for his leadership, and Springbok backline coach Ricardo Loubscher was quick to pinpoint the last 20 minutes of the past 2 games against the Wallabies and All Blacks as a cause for concern. In both fixtures, the Springboks were in a winning position at the hour mark, only to lose in a final quarter where lack of composure was a feature of the South African slide.

“In terms of World Cups, Jean’s experience is crucial to the team,” said Loubscher.

“In the last 20 minutes in particular you need cool heads, and Jean will bring that. He has shown in the past that he can lead a team well and it is great that he now has some game time behind him and can play again after his injury. It is nice to have him back, as indeed it’s also great to have Fourie du Preez back in the mix in terms of his leadership ability.”

However, while De Villiers’ return is regarded as a non-negotiable, it is nonetheless a shame that 1 of Damian de Allende or Jesse Kriel will have to shift aside to accommodate the regular captain. Kriel’s 2 great tries in the respective matches in Brisbane and Johannesburg capped a remarkable start to his international career, and his running lines at outside centre have got better and better.

De Allende too has confirmed the impression created during the Stormers’ Super Rugby campaign that he is ready to be a big player on the international stage.

“We do have great depth at the moment and it does create a nice selection headache as Damian and Jesse have shown what they can do and they can certainly be relied on if needed,” said Loubscher.

While after just 3 matches it is probably already possible to say that Kriel looks like the long term solution for the potentially problematic Springbok outside centre position, and appears capable of backing up head coach Heyneke Meyer’s prediction that he could go on to become a great in that position, Loubscher gave just the slightest hint at a press conference in Umhlanga on Tuesday that he could remain in the mix for the Pumas game.

Kriel played most of his rugby for the Bulls earlier in the year at fullback, and with Willie le Roux sometimes mixing erratic form with the world class touches produced at stages of the recent clash with the All Blacks, now might be the time to see what he could do for the Springboks in that position.

“Jesse has showed in the last year or 2 that he can play both positions and he certainly gives us an option outside of 13. It’s been a great start to his international career for him,” said Loubscher.

Kriel’s ability to play both positions will put him in line to be a key member of the match day squad regardless of whether he starts or not, but he’s not alone in being able to claim the status of utility back. That might create a selection headache every now and then, and there is always opposition from critics when players switch positions too often, but it is a great position to be in building up to a World Cup.

Patrick Lambie can also play fullback as well as flyhalf, and Frans Steyn, currently given leave from the squad because of a family bereavement, can interchange between fullback and centre.

“When you go to a World Cup you need versatile players and we have plenty of those so we are in a good space,” agreed the assistant coach.

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