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.
Lions will be pleased to have Whitely back, feel sorry for him though.
Will Juan Smith play CC for the Cheetahs or another team, or is he only back for the Bokke? He is probably still contracted at Touloun
1 @ nortierd:
Juan Smith will go back to Toulon
@ grootblousmile:
If he is on standby, then that’s good, he must play.
Pity about his test, hope he didn’t mess up what was a great legacy.
10 of the AB’s have been released for their ITM, our players can also do with the practice.
Juan Smith is contracted to Toulon and has to play for them. As for Marcel vd Merwe, the question is if that is a setback for the Bulls or not. Both Morne Mellet and Frik Kirsten are unavailable which will force them to use another prop.
I was having a beer with a pommie golf mate this evening.
He knows less than farkall about rugby.
But, he made one pertinent comment.
Is HM trying to resurrect the 2007 RWC team?
Another thing…..
Damian de Allende is a reasonable S15 level inside centre.
Why the is he playing 13 for the Boks?
Surely HM should consider;
1. JdV at 13 and DdA at 12
2. JdV at 12 and JdJ at 13
3. Lambie at 12 and JdV at 13
Playing guys out of their position at international level is madness.
HM needs serious wake up call.
He is not the messiah that so many people think he is.
Charo wrote:
Hi Charo those two lines seem contradictory, how many games has Lambie played at 12, and is JDV not more of a 12 than 13? Don’t see any mention of Jan Serfontein who is in the squad, do you rate him, where do you think he needs to improve if not?
Charo wrote:
A few years back coaches were severely criticized for doing that.
Charo wrote:
It is expected from us to treat him like that.
i agree he needs serious wake up call.
Experimenting, not playing his best team but trying to get every Tom , Dick and Harry into a Bok jersey under the guise of experience is totally against what he promised. He broke his promises. Building a team, bhahahaha.
Sorry i dont believe a word he says.
His good record at this stage is more because the players are good enough to play past his game plan.
The senior players was experienced enough to coach themself under Peter , why not now?
This quad is full of character!
And plenty of old heads resting on even older shoulders 😉
@ Hondo:
@ Bullscot:
I was thinking more of the NZ/OZ style of having a playmaker at 12.
We/POM’s prefer the basher at 12.
Jan Serfontein did okay. Agree he should get another look in.
@ superBul:
Hi Super,
I think HM is okay but certainly no saviour of Bok rugby that many fans blindly believe.
To me he is a bit too conservative in selection and game plan.
And he should talk less to the press
When selecting players out of position, just asks these type of questions:
Who was the player that was head and shoulders above anyone else for that position?
Is he talented enough to become a world class player?
As for outside centre, during super rugby, I did not saw a player that was head and shoulder above the rest. Damien de Allende was the stand out inside centre, therefore the opportunity given to him.
Charo wrote:
So much of this.
Hondo is a karakter.
Hahaha telling a Bok coach to talk less to the press is like asking the ANC to stop putting their hands in other people’s pockets.
As for conservative in selection Willie le Roux and Cornel Hendricks hardly back that assertion up.
😆
And de Allende was horrible out of position or not.
gunther wrote:
The fact that he is prepared to play has beens like Bakkies, Guthro, Viccy and Juan and even Jannie does back that assertion up though.
Everybody knows he is going to see his arse in the wc if he continues like this as the tournament will be played under normal rules and there will not be any special compensation ( like rest breaks) for the geriatics.
@ robzim:
Victor still has much to offer.
Our lineout looks lost without him.
How many other international quality tightheads do we have?
Seeing as Malherbe seems to be developing into a sicknote?
😆
@ gunther:
I agree re Malherbe. Very disappointing.
To me it is strange that so many young forwards seem to be sicknotes these days ( Etsebeth, Scarra, Steph du Toit, Malherbe, Botha etc)
Maybe Hondo or Tim Noakes can help us out with a theory 🙂
@ robzim:
Hondkak will doubtless have a theory.
But I don’t think we should pay any attention to it.
It certainly seems they don’t make them like they used to?
Maybe these guys are playing too much rugby at too young an age.
I am doing dime business in D’urbanville at the moment.
Lovely part of the world.
😆
@ gunther:
D’urbanville is a very cool place if you know the right people.
Sadly I am in town at the moment otherwise i could have shown you around.
You can try “Pedi the sharklover” though… I do not have her address but I suggest you just take a drive in Sonstraal or Durbanville Heights and listen for Rottweilers barking … changes are good that it will be her place 🙂
@ robzim:
Don’t worry I’ll be back.
😆
Victor will make a difference..and Alberts…I forgot that the Aussies fear the Bok traditional approach…but all the Bok need to make their tackles and try not to let Folau or anyone with a step get into one on one’s with Jannie… Oh have to dominate the set piece… limit Hoopers impact by basically smashing him .. take their opportunities and put pressure on the scoreboard through Morne…. Bob’s your Uncle… 😆
@ Te Rangatira:
Hooper has played sublimely in his last two Tests.
IRB Player of The Year kind of stuff.
Oz have some very good talent, they will bounce back.
@ robzim:
Very cool Lady, Our Ruckles.
😉
24 @ cane:
Michael Hooper is excellent, the prime opensider in the world at present!
@ cane:
Hoopers running stats the last time they played Bok in Perth was the difference in that win..he is an amazing player…but they need others in the pack to stand up..
Have not read much about Bakkies Botha’s contribution in the last test, after all John Smit himself wrote in his book about the power of Bakkies in the scrum.
robzim wrote:
Hey, I live in Sonstraal Heights!
grootblousmile wrote:
Only because HM refuses to pick Brussouw. 😛
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