YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – SEPTEMBER 21: Trevor Nyakane of South Africa reacts after the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group B game between New Zealand and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on September 21, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Springboks call up du Toit as Nyakane limps out of RWC
Trevor Nyakane tore his calf in the opening Rugby World Cup match of the Springboks 2019 campiagn and will be replaced by Thomas du Toit.
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – SEPTEMBER 21: Trevor Nyakane of South Africa reacts after the Rugby World Cup 2019 Group B game between New Zealand and South Africa at International Stadium Yokohama on September 21, 2019 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
The Springboks have announced that Trevor Nyakane will take no further part in the team’s Rugby World Cup campaign after injuring his calf.in the loss to the All Blacks.
Sharks prop Thomas du Toit is on his way to Japan from France having been called into the squad as a replacement for Nyakane.
Nyakane’s pain gives Du Toit a Springbok chance.
Nyakane suffered a knee strain in the warm-up match against Japan but passed fit to play in the tournament and feature in the opening match, but tore his right calf shortly after coming on.
Du Toit, who was on a short-term loan to Toulouse, was on standby and had been involved in the wider training squad right up until the team’s departure for Japan.
“It’s very tough on Trevor,” said Rassie Erasmus, director of rugby. “He has had a great season and added value whenever he took the field. It’s a blow to him and the team, but it’s also an opportunity for Thomas and for Vincent [Koch] who now have the chance to step up.”
An able replacement
All Rugby World Cup squads are permitted to replace players in their group’s for medical or compassionate reasons. Players replaced can not return to the competition and the player coming in has an enforced stand-down period of 48 hours before they can take the field. This will not have an impact on the Springboks who could use du Toit in their next match.
Du Toit, who enjoyed a good season in Super Rugby with the Sharks, will link up with the squad late on Tuesday after jetting out of France.
Vincent Koch and Frans Malherbe are the other two tighthead props in the Sprignboks Rugby World Cup squad. Malherbe started the match against the All Blacks packing down against Nepo Laulala. The Springboks are fortunate to have no shortage of quality front-rankers and are particularly well-staffed when it comes to the tighthead side of the scrum. Malherbe, Koch, Du Toit, Nyakane and Wilco Louw have been engaged in an extended battle for game time at the highest level.
The Springboks lost the first match despite establishing an early dominance in terms of territory with scrum-time officiating coming under the spotlight after Jerome Garces missed a few obvious early penalties.
The Green and Gold are keen to move on from that with Erasmus declaring he was happy with Garces control of the game.
The Springboks continue their Rugby World Cup campaign against neighbours Namibia in Nagoya on Saturday
