Has Habana played his last Test?
Habana – second on his nation’s list of most-capped players with 123 appearances, just four shy of Victor Matfield – last featured against Italy in November 2016.
The 34-year-old wing, the Springboks’ leading try-scorer with 67, has not played any rugby since April due to a knee injury, while Allister Coetzee’s side have enjoyed a promising 2017 in his absence.
A 3-0 clean sweep of France in June was followed by back-to-back wins over Argentina to open their Rugby Championship campaign, before a 23-23 draw with Australia last weekend, having been 10 points in arrears.
“At the present moment of time I know where I stand with Allister Coetzee,” 2007 World Cup winner Habana told ESPN.
“I fully understand that leading up to a World Cup [in Japan in 2019], there needs to be a blooding of a new intake [whereas] I’m coming towards the end of my career.
“If I get an opportunity, maybe later in the year, to be a part of the Springboks then I would grab it with both hands but looking at the current crop of players I definitely think that [the] Springbok team is in very good hands and the way they have gelled and performed over the last two or three months has been fantastic.
#MatchingMondays with my lil champ… #WhoWoreItBetter? pic.twitter.com/58HP59NyWt
— Bryan Habana (@BryanHabana) September 11, 2017
“If it is me being done, I can look back on my career and be unbelievably proud of not only what I have achieved but of what I have been able to be a part of.
“Hopefully I’ve left the jersey in a better place than when I received it back in 2004.
“If I can contribute in any way or form I’d love to do it but at the moment looking at the squad it’s in a good place so I’m not going to be shy if it doesn’t happen for me anymore.”
Source: RugbyPass
