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South Africa's injury crisis deepens as listed player misses plane
South Africa’s injury situation appears to be approaching crisis proportions. Rugby 365 has revealed this evening that another player, still listed as a member of the Springbok squad, did not get on the plane when it departed for a training camp in Jersey on Sunday.
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The team will prepare there for a week ahead of their year-end Tests against Scotland, England and Wales.
Prop Frans Malherbe is the latest casualty.
He was one of three Springboks injured in the Stormers’ 17-28 United Rugby Championship loss to the defending champions, Glasgow Warriors, in Stellenbosch at the weekend.
The others were utility back Damian Willemse and loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon.
Willemse, who suffered a groin injury while scoring a try at the Danie Craven Stadium, was officially withdrawn on Sunday and replaced by Bulls loose forward Cameron Hanekom.
Dixon, who was not selected for the tour, suffered a knee injury and went for scans.
@rugby365com can also reveal that Willemse, who only recently returned from finger surgery that saw him miss all the mid-year and Rugby Championship Tests, will be sidelined for three to four months with the groin injury.
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He is unlikely to be back in action before February next year.
The big concern for the Boks will be the absence of stalwart prop Malherbe, who rolled his ankle against the Warriors.
He is the third Bok casualty since the year-end tour squad was announced last week.
Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Wilco Louw (prop) were called up to replace the injury withdrawal of utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
On Sunday Willemse was replaced by Hanekom, but no replacement was announced for Malherbe.
The official Springbok media release still lists him as a member of the touring squad.
However, there are now only two specialist tighthead props in the group – Vincent Koch and Wilco Louw, although Thomas du Toit can play on both sides of the front row.
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The loosehead props are Ox Nche and Gerhard Steenekamp.
Blessing.
Can't see this as a crisis. SA are just churning out talent similarly to AB a couple of years ago
We're going to need our best team to beat England. Losing Malherbe is bad. Very bad.
What’s the use of having all that depth and then calling it a crisis when we have injuries.
No crisis here. Calm down everyone.
What’s more interesting to me is who gets called into take Malherbe’s place in the touring squad. A backline player? A forward?
Safe bet would be another tighthead and Mchunu would be a good choice. Spending some time with the team on tour will be good development for him. Even if he spends most of his time warming Ox up. But I can see him playing in Wales if he got called up.
Jordan Hendrikse would be a great backline call up. Well deserved. That kid looks on fire are the moment.@DP
Is scrumhalf Williams travelling? To say that pair hurt Munster at the weekend is a bit of an understatement.
Agree with Mchunu. Good prospect for the boks. Trying to predict Rassie, I have given up. Genius or mad man who knows.
Jordan has come on nicely since his debut. Seen that confidence grow. Would like to see him on a 6:2 split on the bench and just given a chance to settle in.
Yep! Silver linings and all that..!
Hardly a crisis - Boks have played without Willemse all year and Wessels is a fringe player who is still a work in progress. Malherbe is a blow but Louw and Koch are both world class. Tbh - Boks were in a worse position earlier this year when they had three locks out.
That is really bad news. I hope it's not serious.