Springboks forced into late change as injury strikes again

Prop Vincent Koch was a late withdrawal from the Springbok team on Sunday, after sustaining an unnamed injury during the warm-up in Bordeaux earlier to day.

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ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER INJURY SETBACK

Koch was penciled in to start his first Test since the 2019 Rugby World Cup, having played his last 28 international games over the course of four years from the bench.

But as luck would have it, he injured himself on the field and his subsequent withdrawal, saw Trevor Nyakane fast-tracked into the run-in XV, with veteran Frans Malherbe coming onto the bench.

Malherbe was initially scheduled to have an off day, but was rushed into the match 23 at the 11th hour. He was spotted warming up behind the posts during the singing of the national anthems.

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SPRINGBOKS HAVE ALREADY LOST MALCOLM MARX

The Springbok hooker suffered an injury on training on Wednesday in Toulon and scans later confirmed Marx had torn his ACL.

Marx, who was not included in Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s matchday squad to face Romania in Bordeaux on Sunday, went down at training on Wednesday after having his knee caught in contact.

With the Springboks having the luxury of an enlarged 33-man squad in France for the international showpiece, and sufficient cover at hooker within the squad, he will not be replaced in the squad at this stage.

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