Boks buckle under injuries again
White's charges under pressure to perform against Scotland
With pressure mounting for Jake White's Springboks to atone for their poor showing against the World XV at Ellis Park last Saturday, the dreaded injury bogey has also visited the camp again. Lock Albert van den Berg could be out of the two-match test series against Scotland.
Van den Berg, who started alongside Danie Rossouw in the second row in the fortuitous 30-27 win for the Boks against the World XV, injured his shoulder.
He will undergo a scan and some medical treatment, but depending on the results of the scan could be ruled out for both tests against Scotland – in Durban on Saturday and Port Elizabeth a week later.
With stalwart Bakkies Botha also still sidelined with an Achilles injury, the only good news to come from Monday's media briefing by coach Jake White is that Victor Matfield is among a group of players that will be back to bolster the Bok ranks.
Matfield's second row partner will be either Rossouw or Johan Muller, who came on as a replacement against the World XV, while AJ Venter is another option if White gets really desperate.
However, that last thing White needed was more injuries.
He confirmed that midfielders Wayne Julies (Golden Lions) and De Wet Barry (Western Province) were sent back to their respective provincial unions to undergo medical treatment for injury niggles.
White also released a number of players from his enlarged squad – which trained in Bloemfontein the past few weeks – for Currie Cup action.
They include Wikus van Heerden (Lions), who started on the flank against the World XV, Bolla Conradie (WP), Andries Bekker (WP), Jannie du Plessis (Cheetahs) and Meyer Bosman (Cheetahs).
White also made it clear that the team to face Scotland in Durban will show numerous changes from that which failed to impress against the World XV.
The Bok coach will fall back on a number of his more seasoned players, who were all given a break last week.
They include captain John Smit (hooker, Sharks), Os du Randt (prop, Vodacom Cheetahs), Juan Smith (flank, Vodacom Cheetahs), Fourie du Preez (scrum-half, Vodacom Blue Bulls), Jacques Cronjé (flank, Vodacom Blue Bulls), Matfield (lock, Vodacom Blue Bulls), Schalk Burger (flank, Vodacom Western Province) and Breyton Paulse (wing, Clermont-Montferrand).
They all rejoined the team in Durban.
White said that the public outcry, after the team's unimpressive performance against the World XV, means that the tests against Scotland are now more significant.
He added that he is under "no illusion" as to the challenge that Scotland will provide, but it is important for the Boks to atone for their poor showing at Ellis Park.
"No test is ever easy," White told a media gathering, adding that the team will have to take a big step up against a Scotland side that accounted for both England and France in the Six Nations tournament this year.
