Warren Whiteley

Warren Whiteley

Willem Alberts has been ruled out of the Springboks’ Rugby Championship tour to Australia and New Zealand and will be replaced in the 30-man squad by Warren Whiteley.

Alberts missed both Test victories against Argentina because of a hamstring injury and he underwent a fitness test on Thursday afternoon.

Although his hamstring is recovering well, he experienced some nerve irritation in his lower back and was sent for scans.

Sport24

“Willem requires further investigation of the symptoms and will see a number of specialists to determine the optimal management plan to get him back performing on the field as soon as possible,” said Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts.

Whiteley, who toured with the Springboks to Argentina last week, will join the team in Johannesburg on Friday morning.

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said that although Juan Smith was on standby, the player requested more time to work on his match fitness.

“Juan has very high standards and he wasn’t happy with his performance in Salta,” said Meyer.

“Warren really impressed me last week, he’s been playing very well and it made sense to get him back in. Like Willem, he is very effective with ball in hand and also a great option at the back of the lineout.

“More importantly, Warren is a natural No 8, which is a position where we need cover, but he can play flank as well.”

The Springboks play Australia in Perth on 6 September at 12:05 (SA Time) and take on New Zealand in Wellington the weekend thereafter at 09:35 (SA Time).

The squad will prepare in Johannesburg before their departure to Western Australia on Saturday.

26 Responses to The Rugby Championship: Springboks – Alberts out of tour, Whiteley in

  • 1

    Poor Ackerman, another last minute replacement to be found

  • 2

    ” some nerve irritation in his lower back and was sent for scans”

    Is it me or does this sound serious?

    Sterkte Willem, hoop jy is gou weer op die veld.

  • 3

    2 @ MacroBok:
    Down in the Shark Tank I can picture Jake shaking his head and mumbling “these Bok doctors with their Western medicine”.
    “What’s wrong with dancing and chanting around the patient, giving him 2 panados and Monday and Tuesday off?” “Worked all season with Fransie”

  • 4

    nortierd wrote:

    2 @ MacroBok:
    Down in the Shark Tank I can picture Jake shaking his head and mumbling “these Bok doctors with their Western medicine”.
    “What’s wrong with dancing and chanting around the patient, giving him 2 panados and Monday and Tuesday off?” “Worked all season with Fransie”

    Problem is no one in Deben has heard from Jake in weeks.

  • 6

    The question that takes some answering is how a country with 146,000 rugby players is consistently able to see off challenges from the likes of England, heading towards two million players, South Africa with over 650,000, France with 360,000 and Australia who register just under 300,000.

    Why is it that, even when the All Blacks aren’t playing well, we still expect them to win, and if they don’t win, we demand they win the next one?

    Maybe the theme from the World Cup in New Zealand where they used “a stadium of four million” has a certain amount of truth surrounding it, as certainly a fair proportion of the country have access to rugby and many kids get rugby as the staple diet. Certainly, it is part of our culture.

    Historically it is our utter passion for the game and understanding its eccentricities at a young age that put us ahead of the pack.

    Better decision making and greater understanding of the key requirements in a particular game have always stood out. This, bound together with a great belief and a determination not to lose seemed to be greater than those who wore the other strip.

    This has grown out of a rugged rugby environment and the individuals shaping the game.

    In today’s professional era, it would seem that only a small difference in any game is enough to win or lose it and the All Blacks are generally able to muster that positive percentage. They still tend to make better rugby decisions, they often match bigger sides with physicality, they are technically as good if not better, and with more than 100 years of mainly winning behind them they believe they can win.

    Some of the traditions of All Black rugby have passed on now. Advertising on the jersey, two-minute test caps, sabbaticals, no long tours and special rules for a few players are now in place, but the underlying culture of the fear of losing has obviously maintained that edge. Long may it continue.

    Thankfully, though, even in victory we are able to ask questions, so when are they going to introduce a new hooker and start with Beauden Barrett? Just a thought.

  • 7

    @ superBul:
    It takes a ton of work…maybe Nzers work harder at the game. Quality making up for numbers…

  • 8

    I doubt he’ll get a game, but well done to a very good player.

  • 9

    8 @ Stormersboy:
    Whiteley definetly wont get any game time.

    I really don’t understand how HM’s thinking works sometimes. Alberts and Whiteley are not even in the same mould as players.

  • 10

    @ Scrumdown:
    Whatsup, wtf have you been, busy?

  • 11

    Scrumdown wrote:

    8 @ Stormersboy:
    Whiteley definetly wont get any game time.

    I really don’t understand how HM’s thinking works sometimes. Alberts and Whiteley are not even in the same mould as players.

    Maybe he wants to keep the score against the Kings down to a light embarrassment?

  • 12

    Emergency op in hospital last Wednesday.

    n Aar in my kop het gebars. Het geblooi soos ‘n bees in dis slagpaal vir ‘n paar dae.

    Dok moes ‘n stuk van die neus been weg sny (neus skeef van ou Rugby beseering) en die gebaarste aar reg brand op 3 plekke.

    Was nogal ‘n kak week.

    In tussen in besluit die vrou sy trek na ‘n meentehuis in ‘n kompleks. (Meisiekind wil nie langer in huis slaap waar fokkers ruk terug in gebreek het)

    So dit is so bietjie mal die laaste week of wat.

    Nou is daar nog nie ‘n foon lyn by nuwe plek, so kan glad nie daar blog nie.

  • 13

    nortierd wrote:

    Maybe he wants to keep the score against the Kings down to a light embarrassment?

    At least Ackermann has chosen somebody that’s played Flyhalf before!

  • 14

    @ Scrumdown:
    Kan my voorstel!!
    Hoop als kom reg broer.
    Ja, meenthuis beter vir daai area, dink ek.
    Koekeloer net eers die sekuriteitswagte, party van daai fokkers is gevaarlier as die buitekriminele, kyk wat het mev pres. De Klerk gebeur, en dit in Dolphin Beach!!!

  • 15

    @ Scrumdown:
    Nou is daar nog nie ‘n foon lyn by nuwe plek, so kan glad nie daar blog nie.

    Kry vir jou n router, goedkoper en beter as foon. Dis wat ek nou hier gedoen het, loop in die huis en buite rond en blog van foon af. Jy kan mos sien hoe kuk is my spelling deesdae!

  • 16

    12 @ Scrumdown:
    Sjoe, hectic week!

  • 17

    13 @ Scrumdown:
    Yep, I think it’s only the weather that might be a factor as to whether the Lions will get a 4 try bonus point or not.
    We know it will be cold, but not sure whether it’s raining in the Baai or not?

  • 18

    14 @ Pietman:
    Birchleigh het ‘n deurpad geword vir mense wat wil vanaf Tembisa beweeg na Kemton dorp toe.

    Ons nou eintlik nader aan Tembisa getrek maar ‘n klein komplex mut elektriese heining ens.

    Probleem is nou om ‘n 5 slaapkamer, 2 sitkamer, studeer kamer en waskamer huis inhoud in ‘n 3 slaapkamer meentehuis in te pas.

    Gelukkig nie my probleem nie.

    Baas wou mos trek so di’s nou haar probleem.

    Ek waarsku haar net dat daar kak gaan kom as AL die TV kanaale nie reg is nie teen Saterdag om 12uur die middag.

    Angry

  • 19

    15 @ Pietman:
    Moet net ou foon lyn en ADSL skyf.

    Vrou praat mos baie met CAO se mense in die aande op landlyn.

    Het daai plan wat R300 ‘n maand kos maar kan onbeperte oproepe maak na ander landlyne toe.

  • 20

    16 & 17 @ nortierd:
    At least my “better half” does the house moving. “Not in my departments responsibilities”.

    Lions by 20 or so?

  • 21

    @ Scrumdown:
    CAO plaaslyn, en almal luiste in op die nuus!

  • 22

    21 @ Pietman:
    Nie in dorp huis nie.

  • 23

    @ Scrumdown:
    I went Lions by 22, so in agreement with what you are thinking 😀

  • 24

    I say Lions by 25, but maybe slightly less now that WW is carrying the tackle bags again for HM.

  • 25

    @ Lion4ever:
    @ Scrumdown:
    You guys were upset he wasnt picked now your obsessed that he is picked. I do not understand, do you propose they only take 23 players on tour? I am sure rugby is a lot more evolved that he will tour one hotel behind the team only to hold tackle bags, it is not like he is selected as some quote, be happy for the fella.

  • 26

    24 @ Lion4ever:
    Yep, unfortunately I picked yesterday, before all the reshuffling by the Lions and WW being called up.
    Sal my leer om te wag 😆

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