Springboks welcome three players from injury. Image: @springboks/twitter
Springboks welcome back three players from injury
Springboks will still be without regular flyhalf Handre Pollard during the Castle Lager Rugby Championship which starts in July.
Springboks welcome three players from injury. Image: @springboks/twitter
The Springboks have welcomed three players from injury on Tuesday.
Flyhalf Damian Willemse was declared fit for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, while lock Eben Etzebeth and scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse were on track to return to action during the competition as they continue their recovery from shoulder injuries.
Handre Pollard is set to miss the southern hemisphere showpiece due to the delay in his recovery from a calf injury.
The Springboks kick off their Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign on Saturday, 8 July, against Australia at Loftus Versfeld.
Their next match is against New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland a week later followed by a clash against Argentina at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday 29 July.
Springboks will be without regular flyhalf Handre Pollard
SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said the only players of concern were Pollard and Siya Kolisi, who is recovering from a knee injury.
“Our only real injury concern for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship is Handre. “Eben and Jaden’s test results are looking good, and Damian is good to go,” said the former Springbok coach. (https://vallartainfo.com)
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Zooming in on Pollard’s injury, Erasmus said: “It’s a calf injury that he injured again when he played for Leicester.
“At this stage he’s in a similar position to Siya (Kolisi) who could be available for the World Cup warm-up games.”
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Boks head coach Jacques Nienaber fears Pollard’s injury could set the team back in their preparation for the World Cup.
“No, it’s not a setback in our planning. We have a game strategy and each flyhalf brings their own style and skillset to the game.”
The Springboks will play three World Cup warm-up games after the southern hemisphere showpiece against Argentina in Buenos Aires (5 August), Wales in Cardiff (19 August) and New Zealand in London (25 August) before they make the journey to France for the global spectacle.
