SA RugbyHeyneke MeyerIt won’t all be plain sailing for Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer as on Monday he begins the buildup to Saturday’s first test match of the season against Italy in Durban.

SuperSport

There shouldn’t be too many quibbles over the squad that has been called up to report for duty for the three matches that will form part of the Castle Lager Incoming Tour Series – the other teams featuring are Scotland and Samoa.

When Meyer was given permission to extend his squad to 34 players – it was expected to be 30 or 32 – he effectively avoided having to make some tough calls, such as over the Cheetahs’ flying winger Willie le Roux.

However, one player who some might have been considered a surprising exclusion from the squad, the Cheetahs’ talented centre Robert Ebersohn, could well find himself in line for a call-up after all if the medical assessments to be done on Monday do not go in the favour of a few midfielders who are believed to be carrying injuries.

It is understood that Bok skipper Jean de Villiers has a mild hamstring injury that is causing concern. If De Villiers was ruled out of Saturday’s game, the Boks would have to find a new skipper, with Adriaan Strauss the likely candidate after his excellent leadership of the Cheetahs this season.

But the issue of what to do with his midfield could be an even thornier one for the Bok coach if De Villiers is ruled out, as Juan de Jongh is not quite ready to play just yet.

The Stormers centre has one week to go in his rehabilitation from a finger injury, so he will not be available for the Scotland test and will only come into the frame for the second international against Scotland in Nelspruit the following weekend. So if De Villiers is ruled out, it will mean the Boks have to start with a completely new midfield combination.

Some would welcome that if it means the dynamic Bulls duo of Jan Serfontein and JJ Engelbrecht get to play together, but there was also understood to be some concern in the Bok camp on Sunday over the condition of Engelbrecht after the derby between the Bulls and the Cheetahs.

Another player who is injured and may be doubtful for Saturday is flanker Francois Louw, who was forced to withdraw from the Barbarians team that played against the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong this past weekend.

If he is not fit it will mean the dynamics of the Bok back row changes completely from the one that did duty in the last match of last year, when Louw and No 8 Duane Vermeulen (also injured) were the two players who played towards the ball.

Apart from the injury report that has to be made, there will be a lot of anticipation in the early days of the build-up week over what Meyer will do in some key areas of his starting team. Morne Steyn is expected to be his first choice flyhalf, but there is an argument, and a sound one, for the coach to back Patrick Lambie in the first test of the year.

Meyer says he is undecided over flyhalf, so he should be giving both Steyn and Lambie an opportunity over the next few weeks. It would make sense to play Lambie in Durban for two reasons – firstly Kings Park is his home ground, and secondly he had the benefit of sitting on the sidelines resting this past weekend as his Sharks team enjoyed their bye while Steyn was playing his umpteenth game in succession for the Bulls.

Loading the starting team with Sharks players this week and then bleeding the rest in the following week in Nelspruit might be a smart move on Meyer’s part.

Zane Kirchner’s apparently safe passage through the Bloemfontein derby after he was called onto the field early would have been good news for Meyer and it will be interesting to see if he backs his first choice to start the first game or if he opts for Gio Aplon or, as an outside possibility, Lambie to wear the No 15.

10 Responses to June Internationals: Springboks – some injury worries

  • 1

    It is rather difficult to say what I’m about to say… but would’nt the Jean de Villiers injury be a blessing in disguise, firstly allowing Adriaan Strauss to CAPTAIN the Springboks and secondly maybe employing Jan Serfontein next to JJ Engelbrecht (as an established centre combination)…. next to Morné Steyn… and hopefully with Jano Vermaak at No 9.

    Backline would fire immediately, as they’ve been playing together all year…

    Add Bryan Habana at 11, Willie le Roux at 14 and Zane Kirchner at 15, and you have a very potent backline!

  • 2

    Without wanting to disrespect Italy, Scotland and Western Samoa……..HM should rest Beast, Jannie, MS, JDV and Habana.

  • 3

    No problem with what you say GBS but honestly Serf would get more benefit by learning form Jean in game in his hopefully first test soon
    I would play Willie at 15 fr sure, got a very good feeling about the guy

  • 4

    You should be a selector, with that backline, GBS.

  • 5

    @ Lion4ever:
    Good Grief Leeutjie but your team was smoking hot on Saturday, was a joy to watch!!!!

  • 6

    4 @ Lion4ever:
    Hehehe

    If you thought Heyneke Meyer copped a lot of flack for his selections, bet you I would cop more flack…. hahaha

  • 7

    @ Tripples:
    Thanks, Tripples. It was great to be there and see how the Lions played the situation. They scored a couple spectacular long range tries, but also played percentage rugby when nothing was on. I was actually hoping for more from Samoa. They had a brief period in the 1st half when they looked like something, but just seemed to lose heart after conceding a couple of turnovers, whilst on attack, and these resulted in scores by the Lions.

    Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Lions would win by this margin. I know the team was disrupted by the Barbarians fixture and on going matches in France, but the 7th ranked team in the world should not go down by such a huge margin to the no 5 ranked team in the 2nd ranked teams’ provincial competition. (Using Super Rugby as the yardstick.)

    In spite of what many say I am extremely proud of my team.

  • 8

    @ grootblousmile:
    When has a Bok coach not copped a lot of flack for his selections?

  • 9

    Ek sien Ebersohn is opgeroep ipv beseerde JdeJ, goeie roep!

  • 10

    9 @ Pietman:
    Ja, ek het ‘n artikel daarvoor opgesit

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