Injured Alberts is 'overplayed'
Injured Springbok flank Willem Alberts is another classic example of the need for better player management, especially at domestic level.
This follows after Bok coach Heyneke Meyer revealed that the powerful blindside flank, Alberts, will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future and like fellow loose forward Duane Vermeulen is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
Alberts, who has been struggling with back and knee injuries for some time, this week suffered an ankle strain – the result of general wear-and-tear on his overworked body.
Alberts was initially expected to be ready for the big Rugby Championship encounter with New Zealand in Johannesburg in just over a fortnight, but the Bok mentor revealed that they are going to "box smart" with the burly flank in an attempt to get him 100 percent before the World Cup in September and October.
"He [Alberts] is struggling with a few injuries at the moment," Meyer told a media briefing in Cape Town – where South Africa are preparing for their opening international of the year, against a World XV at Newlands on Saturday.
"He had surgery at the end of last year," the coach said, adding: "He has been struggling with his back and his knee is not 100 percent either."
The coach explained that the accumulative affect of work overload, over a number of seasons, contributed to Alberts' current condition.
"Every time he puts an effort in and [does] fitness [work] he gets more and more injured," Meyer said.
"It is a catch-22 situation for us, as he has just hurt his ankle ligament as well.
"He struggles to run and he struggles to train. If you can't train you fall behind, so we are having to box smart with him at the moment. We are asking him to focus mostly on gym work and work on his rehabilitation in the gym."
While Alberts' injuries are not as serious as Vermeulen's neck – he underwent surgery on Wednesday this week – the flank's recovery process leaves him in a tight timeframe to be fit and ready for the World Cup.
"It is just a question of being overplayed," the coach said, adding: "Willem has played a lot of rugby and the way he plays, he is a very physical warrior and he is going to get injured.
"We have decided to take him out of most of the games.
"The plan was to bring him back against the All Blacks, but he definitely won't be ready for that game. So the plan is now to take him out and really work on his conditioning.
"Although the Rugby Championship is important to us, the World Cup is the be-all and end-all – we have to use this time to get him fit and hopefully, if we box smart, ready for the World Cup."
Meyer said that it was imperative that both Alberts and Vermeulen reach 100 percent readiness before the departure for England or he might reluctantly have to exclude them from his plans.
"With Duane it's a bit more straightforward than it is with Willem, because it's just really a case of him needing to recuperate after his operation. We've been told he will be ready, but you never know about these things, and we will only really be sure once he gets back into training again.
"One thing I can tell you is that with Duane, as is the case with Willem, he has to be 100 percent.
"We are taking 31 players to the World Cup and that means just five loose forwards. We have to have 31 super fit players with us at the start of the tournament."
Meyer has opted for a lose trio of Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee and Warren Whiteley to face the World XV this week.
Coetzee and Whiteley have a great opportunity to book their World Cup spots.
"With Willem and Duane out, we know what we've got in them," said Meyer.
"It's going to be a race for them to be ready for the World Cup so we have to look at different combinations.
"Although Marcell is more an openside flank I want to see what he and Flo [Louw] can do together."
* Meanwhile Steven Kitshoff will be out for approximately four weeks after sustaining an injury to the medial ligaments of his left knee on Tuesday.
Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts said Kitshoff was sent for scans on Wednesday, which confirmed the diagnosis of a grade two MCL injury and he will be unavailable for the Boks' next three matches.
Meyer said it was a pity that Kitshoff got injured.
"The plan was to get him and Frans [Malherbe] on as impact players and see what they can do," the coach told the media briefing.
"Unfortunately he [Kitshoff] is probably going to be out for four weeks.
"He has done his MCL [knee ligaments] – it is a grade two [tear]. Luckily it is not too serious – it was just a freak accident in training.
"I thought I would give him a run against Australia [in the opening match of the Rugby Championship next week], but I will now have to look at a different front row [for that match].
"I always said I will use these five games and see what the guys can add," Meyer said of the World XV encounter, three Rugby Championship encounters and the additional match against Argentina.
"I am also excited to see what Vincent [Koch] can do," he said of the uncapped prop that will play off the bench against the World XV.
"He has been brilliant [for the Stormers in Super Rugby]. Now it is up to him to show he can take it up to a higher level, especially scrumming at tighthead."
By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com
