Jean, Vic to miss Fiji clash
12 Sep 2011
Jean de Villiers and Victor Matfield will be sidelined for 10 days following injuries sustained in Sunday’s Test against Wales.
Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts confirmed on Monday that De Villiers suffered a grade one rib cartilage injury, while Matfield felt his hamstring tighten up in the second half. Both players were substituted because of their injuries, and have subsequently been ruled out of the next game against Fiji.
‘We anticipate that they will both be out for 10 days,’ said Roberts, suggesting the pair may be available for the clash against Namibia on 22 September. ‘It was a precaution to bring Jean off, as we didn’t want it to get any worse. With Victor, we feel it’s a long tournament and want to give him as much time as possible to get over the injury.’
The news means that Johann Muller will be promoted to the starting lineup, while one of Butch James or Juan de Jongh could fill the void left by De Villiers. While Muller is an adequate replacement, his elevation will leave a gap on the Bok bench, and somebody like Willem Alberts may be asked to cover lock.
The Boks will be without their premier locking pair for Saturday’s game against Fiji, as Bakkies Botha is still struggling with an Achilles injury. Reports that he may be out of the World Cup remain unconfirmed, but Roberts didn’t sound too hopeful of a recovery when speaking to the media in Wellington.
‘He’s picked up an Achilles injury and it hasn’t responded to treatment as well as we would have liked,’ the Bok doctor said. ‘We haven’t made a decision [on his availability for the rest of the tournament yet].
Coach Peter de Villiers said this decision will be made ‘sooner rather than later’.
While Alistair Hargreaves and Gerhard Mostert failed to make the initial World Cup squad, they were named on the list of 12 standby players. If Botha fails to recover from his injury, De Villiers may call up Mostert given that, like Botha, he is a specialist No 4 lock.
By Jon Cardinelli, in Wellington
140 Comments
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12 Sep 2011, 00:32 am
Missing Dragons!
12 Sep 2011, 00:34 am
Please tell me who was the stand in Captain when Victor left the field?
12 Sep 2011, 00:53 am
Schalk
12 Sep 2011, 00:58 am
I watched the 2007 final just a day ago. Was amazing to see how old and slow some of those 2007 winners have become. Vic was literally standing around for long periods of play. Maybe he was alreadey injured, I don’t know. Fact is, they can’t just play for two periods of 5 minutes and expect to do great things. Maybe it is age causing all the injuries as well. We were lubky today!
12 Sep 2011, 01:35 am
Play Steyn at 12 and Lambie at 15, butch at 10
Rousouw and Muller at 4 and 5 with er , er ,er Apalon as cover
Jeez, Alberts as lock cover is really starting to scrape the barrel, we need him to run on the park like we need bizzy
12 Sep 2011, 02:05 am
So, how good was that pseudo “rehabilitation camp” at Rustenberg when the Bok B team was being humiliated in the away 3N leg?
12 Sep 2011, 02:34 am
@whatever(whatever)-5:
Think they’re thinking along the lines of making as few changes as possible. One player substitute for the other, instead of reshuffling the entire backline
If JdV was out for the tournament I’d move Steyn to 12 though, but not for one or two games.
Has to be Juan de Jongh. Otherwise why did they bother picking him? Butch James struggled at 12 I thought.
12 Sep 2011, 02:37 am
@sparticus(sparticus)-3: Looked like Fourie. Smit spoke to him at the line-out as he left, and Fourie also did all the talking, pointing to touch. If Burger was captain, I certainly noticed nothing.
12 Sep 2011, 02:39 am
@Jinx2(Jinx2)-2: Victor wasn’t captain, Smit was. Victor left the field before Smit, so it was always Smit.
12 Sep 2011, 02:39 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-7:
Yeah true, but against the Samoans I would rather have Steyn at 12 than JDJ. Much the same thinking as the AB’s putting Nonu and SBW in against the Tongans
12 Sep 2011, 03:07 am
A blessing in disguise…
jean de villiers provides no spark to the backline and he is frail on defence
in my opinion our strongest possible line up:
1. gunthro ( didn’t even see beast do anything today)
2. bismark (smit has to fuking go)
3. jannie du plessis
4 russow
5. muller
6. brussow
7. alberts
8. burger
9. du preez (needs to calm down and do the basic right and get quicker ball out of the rucks)
10. butch james (lambie should start, but we have to match the psychiality of the fijians and samoans)
11. hougard
12. fourie
13. de jongh (needs space to operate)
14. aplon
15. fransois steyn
16. chiliboy (leave smit out completely)
17. beast
18. louw
19. pienarr
20. lambie
21. pieterson
22. habana
12 Sep 2011, 03:24 am
Heading should read
He he
Vic , Jean. and Bissy to miss Fiji
I just cant believe it
12 Sep 2011, 03:25 am
@TheAgent(TheAgent)-8:
Fdp took over as captain
12 Sep 2011, 03:30 am
@jackbill(jackbill)-11:
yes decent team
I would have Jdj at 12 leave JF at 13
I just worry about a kicker Butch and F steyn are so so
but M Steyn is average but scores points
F steyn great game (haircut did the trick)
12 Sep 2011, 03:40 am
A Gavin Rich after match report indicated that Fourie du Preez was the stand in captain. Some of he commentators on the otherhand mentioned Schalck.
12 Sep 2011, 03:42 am
@dWeePer(dWeePer)-15:
Yes he called the lineout instead of kicking at goal
12 Sep 2011, 03:46 am
My 15 for Fiji
15 . F steyn
14. Jpp
13 Fourie
12 Jdj
11 Aplon (couragous and fast
10 Butch (need him against islanders)
9 Hougaard
8 Alberts
7 Skalk
6 Brussow then Flow
5 Russow
4 Muller
3 J dup
2 Bissy
1 Guthro
Bench 5- 2 split forwards backs
12 Sep 2011, 04:04 am
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-17:
Hougaard wasn’t even playing scrumhalf. What makes him the best candidate now? If anything he should be on the wing.
My XV for Fiji
15 F Steyn
14 Pietersen
13 Fourie
12 de Jongh
11 Habana
10 M Steyn – Need goal-kicker versus islanders who are sure to give away penalties
9 du Preez
8 Burger/Alberts
7 Burger/Alberts – Would prefer Schalk at 8, but either way.
6 Brussow
5 Muller
4 Rossouw
3 J du Plessis
2 J Smit (c)
1 Steenkamp
16 B du Plessis
17 van der Linde
18 Spies
19 Louw
20 Hougaard
21 James
22 Lambie
12 Sep 2011, 04:29 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-18:
Its againt Fiji give him time at 9
12 Sep 2011, 04:44 am
I think we need to rest Vic Jean and Bakkies until Samoan game
No point risking them for Namibia
12 Sep 2011, 04:48 am
Does anyone know the rules about replacing injured players? Can a player back in SA (Mostert?) be called in to replace Bakkies or must they make do with the 30 man squad?
12 Sep 2011, 04:54 am
@Nuk3Fr33k1w1(Nuk3Fr33k1w1)-21:
Dont think you can call for extra man
12 Sep 2011, 05:12 am
@Nuk3Fr33k1w1(Nuk3Fr33k1w1)-21:
They can as long as they send Bakkies home. He would then be out of the WC (can’t be recalled)
12 Sep 2011, 05:13 am
@CoachPete(CoachPete)-22:
Would think you can replace an injured player during the tournament but Bakkies went there injured…bit of a grey area.
12 Sep 2011, 05:14 am
@hendrikp(hendrikp)-23:
Easy peasy 25 points you said!!!! I got slightly concerned there for a while yesterday…
12 Sep 2011, 05:17 am
I still think we need a specialist lock to replace Bakkies if he cannot play. Not sure who the best lock in SA is at the moment but I bet there are a few that would do the Bok proud
12 Sep 2011, 05:20 am
@kesbok(kesbok)-26:
Maybe a young fast one
12 Sep 2011, 05:34 am
was it JDV getting repeatedly kneed in the back in 1st 10 minutes by the Wales number 3?
12 Sep 2011, 05:38 am
@whatever(whatever)-5: Good backline changes!
12 Sep 2011, 05:51 am
Looks like the youngsters in the team have been elevated to starting positions by default. Maybe the spate of injuries will be the Boks saving grace.
12 Sep 2011, 05:54 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-25:
Slightly concerned is putting it mildly
12 Sep 2011, 06:07 am
@whatever(whatever)-31:
Well Hennie has been telling us for two weeks now it would be easy so I asumed no need for panic and just a matter of time before they streak ahead…
Aish boet, I was knyping washers delux for a good 40 minutes…
12 Sep 2011, 06:27 am
Fiji is — or ought to be — the dirt-trackers’ time to shine.
12 Sep 2011, 06:36 am
Caterpillar-dancing Wallaby dangerman, Digby Ioane, has broken his thumb, requiring surgery, and his RWC is over — no more caterpillars…
12 Sep 2011, 06:37 am
@j59(j59)-28: saw it! and he is now injured with bruised rib – its was pretty blatant foul play
12 Sep 2011, 06:40 am
@whatever(whatever)-31:
My dog and cat left the house
12 Sep 2011, 06:41 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-34: big loss that if it happens
12 Sep 2011, 06:49 am
15. Lambie
14. JPP
13. Fourie
12. F Steyn
11. Aplon
10. James
09. Hougaard
08. Alberts
07. Louw
06. Brussouw
05. Muller
04. Bakkies
03. JAnnie
02. Bissie
01. Beast
12 Sep 2011, 06:57 am
Funny about Muller. Plenty comments from the peenut gallery like “don’t let the door hit you on the way out”; Kobus Kitty. Wat nou sport? Boks looking not so good at lock; again.
12 Sep 2011, 07:13 am
Would be my Bok 22 to face Fiji…..
15. Patrick Lambie.
14. Gio Aplon.
13. Jacque Fourie.
12. Juan De Jongh.
11. Francois Hougaard.
10. Butch James.
9. Ruan Pienaar.
8. Pierre Spies.
7. Willem Alberts.
6. Francois Louw.
5. Johann Muller.
4. Danie Rossouw.
3. C.J. Van Der Linde.
2. John Smit (c).
1. Gurthro Steenkamp.
16. Tendai Mtawarira.
17. Chilliboy Ralepele.
18. Heinrich Brussow.
19. Schalk Burger.
20. Bryan Habana.
21. Francois Steyn.
22. J.P. Pieterson.
12 Sep 2011, 07:27 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-24: It doesn’t matter whether or not they were injured when the cup started. A player can be replaced on 2 days notice to the cup organisers, BUT they are then out of the cup and can’t come back. This is why the AB’s haven’t called in any cover for Kieran Reid (I thought they might have done with Adam Thomson – a case of correcting an obvious selection mistake
)
12 Sep 2011, 07:28 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-34: Latest reports are that Digby may only miss a few games.
12 Sep 2011, 07:31 am
This is good news. Although probably a bit on the optimistic side. If they are able to play again in the quarterfinal then we’re fine. Whether the two really will be 100% fit by then remains to be seen, though.
12 Sep 2011, 07:34 am
Pick the team that beat NZ in PE. Just add Frans Steyn to improve it even further and leave Hougaard on in Habana’s place.
That’s our best bet for the playoffs.
12 Sep 2011, 07:34 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-34: Massive blow – I made a prediction that he could have been the player of the tournament. Who will replace him? Will be tough, especially given his role swopping places with Cooper
12 Sep 2011, 07:35 am
@scar(scar)-45: The official word on Ione: “He is expected to be available to play again later in the tournament although the exact timelines on when he might be able to return will not be known until after the joint has been operated on, and his rehabilitation from the injury has begun.”
12 Sep 2011, 07:39 am
Damn. 3 boring weeks of waiting now until the play offs.
12 Sep 2011, 07:42 am
@corporal punishment(corporal punishment)-41:
Fair enough and I suppose the same reason they waiting on Bakkies. I knew someone who had Achillis problems and outside of an op (which is out the question now) the best you get from a doctor is ‘rest’. A little rest and it feels fine until you start training which then makes it flair up again and the dreaded ‘rest’ from the doc again. And so it goes…
I suspect they will rest Bakkies till the 1/4 finals and then unleash him and get him through with some injections etc. for as long as possible. Current injury to Matfield makes it hard but both are not irreplaceable in the next few pool games…
12 Sep 2011, 07:43 am
@scar(scar)-46:
Did jouba not play with a broken thumb in 1995? Takes a long time to heal but you can push through if needed…expect to see him back in the play-offs.
12 Sep 2011, 07:49 am
Play De Jongh at 12 and keep Steyn where he is most effective, FB. Nothing wrong with the team on Saturday, but the tactics was ****. Playing the ball too much to the backs, should have had our strike runners (Schalk, Spies, Rassouw, Beast) getting ball at first reciever and then when the opposition defence is stretched then go wide, see F Steyn try and Hougard try, that’s our strength and that’s when we can win! No bloody helter scelter approach (I am speaking to you Muir!).
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