Springboks: Major updates on five key players
As the start of the Springboks’ season draws closer on the horizon, here are five key updates worth noting.
When the Springboks recently gathered for their first alignment camp of the year, coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed that only three players were currently set to be unavailable this season.
Steven Kitshoff has of course retired, while Elrigh Louw and Trevor Nyakane are recovering from serious long-term injuries.
As the South African franchises have continued to take stock of an extensive injury toll, there was also a major concern over the recovery timeline of Eben Etzebeth, who has taken longer than expected to overcome a concussion.
However, the big lock is now believed to be ready to return to action, if not for a slight hamstring injury niggle.
“Eben strained a hamstring in a running block [during the Springbok alignment camp] in Cape Town,” Sharks coach John Plumtree revealed on Thursday. “That set him back a couple weeks, but from a concussion point of view, he’s in a good place now.”
In other news, Plumtree confirmed that fellow Springbok Aphelele Fassi should return to play next month, while Grant Williams will be out for two to three weeks due to a neck/back injury.
“Fassi is about three weeks away [from returning to play]. He will start integrating with the team at training soon,” the coach added.
“Grant has an issue with his neck, one of his joints, and it should only be two or three weeks [out]. He sort of played with it during the Lions ‘series’ and before that. It’s not significant but it needs some time away from any contact.”
Couple other big snippets of injury news for the Springboks
In other updates that will be getting attention from the Springbok coaches is the fact that veteran Faf de Klerk has reportedly fractured his thumb playing for his Japanese club Canon Eagles.
It’s believed he could miss up to two months of action, and so should be back just in time for the start of the Springboks’ Test season in July.
According to RugbyJP.com, World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is set for a return to action with Japanese club Toyota Verblitz in April after undergoing surgery in January for a shoulder injury.
Du Toit’s return for Verblitz would give him roughly two months to regain full fitness before South Africa’s first match of the year.
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