Boks face anxious wait on star ahead of Italy clash
SPOTLIGHT: Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick has revealed that star hooker Malcolm Marx suffered an injury in the Test against France.
Stick shared the news with reporters during his South Africa ‘A’ team announcement ahead of their clash against Bristol on Thursday.
Hooker Joseph Dweba, who started in the No.2 jersey against Munster last week, was withdrawn from the SA ‘A’ squad to link up with the Springboks.
Andre-Hugo Venter will start at hooker against the Premiership side with JJ Kotze playing off the bench.
“Joseph Dweba is currently on standby for the Springboks because Malcolm Marx has a bit of a knock on his quad,” said Stick.
“That’s why Joseph is not in the [SA ‘A’] team.
“JJ Kotze was not involved in the team [against Munster] last week, so I think it’s fair to give him some game time.”
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#TeamAnnouncement: South Africa ‘A’ coach Mzwandile Stick has made five changes to his team for the clash against Bristol on Thursday 👇#SouthAfrica #Springboks #BristolBears https://t.co/ZslDJq9UNR
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Meanwhile, the SA ‘A’ team will have a new halfback combination in the form of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Grant Williams.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu joined the squad on Sunday after Aphelele Fassi was ruled out with an ankle injury.
“Both guys [Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Williams] have been in the Springbok setup. They understand how we want to play,” Stick explained.
“I think that will be the key thing with that combination.
“We were guilty of not managing the game well last week, but Grant knows our philosophy and how we want to play and he knows what it takes to be at the top.
“Yes, we got x-factor and I always encourage players to bring what makes them special, but the key thing for me is that when you play in the Northern Hemisphere you need to make sure that you play the conditions very well. That is going to be the biggest challenge for those two.
“I’m excited to see what they can do.
“Grant has been waiting for his opportunity with the Boks, so I was actually happy to see him bring that impact in the game last week.
“Hopefully, they will be in a position to be selected for that England game in that last Test match.”
A big surprise
The big surprise in Stick’s selection for Thursday’s clash in Bristol was the inclusion of loose forward Marco van Staden, who was was initially ruled out of the Springboks’ tour with a rib injury.
He takes over the No.6 jersey from Phepsi Buthelezi, who drops to the bench.
“Marco van Staden was supposed to be with the Springbok squad, but he had a rib problem, so he wasn’t able to play last week,” said Stick.
“With that extra week, he managed to recover well and we got a report from the team doctor saying that he was ready to play this week.
“It was an easy call for us to bring him in. I think the conditions will suit him very well because he played here [in England] last year.
“He will be able to put pressure at the breakdowns and he will be massive for us on defence.
“Phepsi did a great job last week at open side and he will be on the bench covering that position.”
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