Smith has not sufficiently recovered from an injured Achilles and have therefore withdrawn himself from the South Africa’s World Cup squad.
“I am not 100%,” an emotional Smith told the Volksblad newspaper.
“I won’t be able to give everything and realise I should put my team, team-mates and the Bok fans first. I must stop lying to myself – what I’ve been doing these last three weeks – and realise that I’m not ready,” said Smith.
This is a huge blow for Smith, as he would have had the opportunity of playing in three World Cup’s after he represented South Africa at the 2003 and 2007 tournaments.
Smith said he endured immense pain in the last while, but still carried hopes of being ready in time for the showpiece in New Zealand.
“The pain-level that I have been practicing with, was seven out of ten, which means I had to endure a lot,” said Smith.
Smith says from the first day he sustained the injury he was very positive and tried everything within his ability to go to the World Cup.
“I really cannot describe how disappointed I am…immensely,” said Smith.
Smith will soon undergo an operation and will then focus on returning for the Cheetahs in next year’s Super Rugby tournament.
Arggghhhhhhhhhhh, what a bummer…
Man, this comes at such an inopertune time!
I would have had Josh Strauss involved in the Bokke setup loooong ago, not as a sure starter but rather as a contingency plan, if I were the coaching staff.
Who should now be No 7 blindside flank for the World Cup…. Willem alberts, I suppose.
Does’nt this reek like bad planning to you guys as well… I mean not from Juan’s side, but damn man, the Bokke management should have known that there was a serious possibility for this event… or did they go on blind faith alone?
Is there any systematic planning or is it all crisis driven management?
I know which one I’d lean towards believing….
We must hope Schalk Burger will be alright. If he fails to come back i will give up almost all hope. But then again commeth the hour commeth the man.
I think the player is to blame here….some time ago he should have informed them of the pain levels and suggested they start planning for an alternative.
We have enough loosies, Alberts comes to mind GBS, must say….I could think of a couple more that wouldn’t shame us and probably be as good as anyone else out there in the world. Delighted Lambie is going to 15, I think it was our most exposed position.
We’ll see a different Bok team this week, the ring rust will be gone.
6@ 4man:
The ring rust was’nt so much an issue last Saturday… fittness was though… the Bokke ran out of puff.
The Bokke’s best period of play was in the first 25 minutes, where one would have expected the game rust or ring rust to be found (at the start) or to manifest itself.
One certainly does not fix fittness in a week.
This is very sad news and a HUGE setback for the Boks.
Strauss??? You got to be shitting me.
Div missed a trick with Keegan. Can cover 6-8 and has a proper “up yours” attitude which is lacking in the bok side.
Dit is baie slegte nuus, ons het nou twee van ons bestes wat nie WB toe gaan nie, Juan en Andries.
@ Pam Anderson:
keegan vuilgat daniel is nie n bok nie,johnson sal nou vir seker wb toe gaan,
@ grootblousmile:
Match fit and training fit are two different things….I believe the guys are fit enough and last weeks game will have pushed them up a big step….lets see who’s right on Saturday. @Pam….Keegan Daniel is not the right guy, he should have recycled to centre ages ago, in any case he doesn’t fit the pattern we will play at the world cup, Willem Alberts is the natural guy to take over from Juan and it looks as if Deysel will then become a permanent fixture in the match 22. Personally I’d like to see that dude with the beard who plays for Transvaal get a chance, but its too late now, experience is the name of the game.
The news that Juan Smith ruled himself out of contention for the Rugby World Cup is a massive blow for the Springboks in their quest to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Bloemfontein legend would not only have provided coach Peter de Villiers with the go-forward ball so needed in Test match rugby, but also some very influential leadership in a team already laden with experience.
I can clearly recall the incident where Smith snapped his Achilles in the opening weeks of Super Rugby while playing against the Bulls in Bloemfontein.
The respect he has among his peers was very obvious and when he left the field, the likes of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha almost walked him to the touchline to make sure he was okay.
Afterwards Matfield admitted that Smith was closer to the two “Blood Brothers” than most.
“Bakkies and I have played almost 70 Tests with Juan and probably not half of that with most of my Super Rugby team-mates at the Bulls. So he remains very a very close friend,” the Bulls lock said at the time.
Smith himself was working so, so hard to make the squad. He recently travelled up to Johannesburg where he spent three weeks running on a specially designed treadmill, working with Dr Jon Patricios. All of this of course was in vain.
His bravery to fight the pain barrier on a daily basis in order to serve his country is typical of the warrior he is.
His decision to pull out, rather than travel as a passenger is another indication of the man he is. Comments from bloggers on this site are suggesting/hoping/hinting that certain other players should also do the brave thing and retire before the team is announced, but I am afraid we are not going to see that, are we?
The big question is now who will replace Smith, but the answer is fairly obvious.
Schalk Burger should wear the No 7 jersey and with Heinrich Brüssow getting back to fitness as well, De Villiers has a very nice loose trio combination forced upon him.
Brüssow, Burger and Pierre Spies has a very nice ring to it, thank you, especially if you have Willem Alberts playing off the bench, who can cover 7 and 8. Danie Rossouw can now revert back to third lock, with the option of him playing in the loose forwards, should the need arise.
@ superBul:
Super your argument is sound…as I’ve said previously, “we don’t lack loosies”…I must say I’m a bit worried about Schalkie….but after a long layoff he is bound to be fine….he doesn’t get hurt, he just gets bored….but no doubt the world cup will pique his interest. Brussouw against Oz, Alberts against the rest would be my choice. Just one thing, I think our loosies must change their pattern, first man to the breakdown should clearout and the 2nd guy go for the ball. When the first man goes for the ball, invariably our own follow up players take him off his feet and we concede the penalty…Bissie is that busy that he is often first to the breakdown and he gets pinged for penalties, I have given this some thought, its actually not his fault, its the guys following him knocking him off his feet. Watch how the Aussies do it….and we can learn from them. The Kiwi’s is a different story, their guys are bigger and stronger…in that case I might even play Pakslae at 8. Unless Pierre Spies’s little boy continues his return to form.
@ 4man:5 – Huge loss losing Juan, but agree we have some good cover there, but none as great as Juan.
I also would prefer Alberts to the rest. Have to see how Alberts goes this weekend with that shoulder. Hope it is now 100%.
Anyhow just have to see who PdV selects.
@ Puma:
Sadly the 2 Bulls Dewalt and Stegman had a year full of untimely injuries. They were groomed for the big stage, funny how people forgett players. Out of sight out of mind they say. Both were good until the injuries started plauging them.
I think his descission is a good one, we cant play players that is not 100% medically fit.
@ superBul:
Dewalt has my vote, but i’m afraid Stegmann isn’t up to scratch. I didnt mention them because of the injuries, but like I said, we have plenty of loosies.
23 August
19:30 – 20:30
SS1
Springbok Squad Announcement IRB Rugby World Cup
Boots & All now on with Peter de Villiers as guest
Ashley Johnston called up
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