Big gamble by Meyer

Jacques van der Westhuyzen wouldn't be surprised if the Boks suffered a good number of setbacks after arriving in England. �Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Jacques van der Westhuyzen wouldn't be surprised if the Boks suffered a good number of setbacks after arriving in England. �Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

Published Sep 1, 2015

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Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez, Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw will all arrive at the World Cup with an injury cloud hanging over their heads. Morné Steyn hasn’t played for the Springboks in over a year, Willem Alberts looked rusty in his only outing in months, Pieter-Steph du Toit is an injury waiting to happen and Coenie Oosthuizen is in the same boat.

Bok boss Heyneke Meyer is gambling ... big-time.

While his squad of 31 covers all the bases and looks to be a good blend of youth and experience, there will be concerns among many Bok supporters his group of World Cup challengers will be living on a prayer in the next two months.

No-one quite knows when De Villiers’ jaw will be strong enough for him to play, Vermeulen isn’t expected to play until the second or third game and only Oosthuizen will know whether his neck problems are something of the past. We all know what Du Preez and Steyn have done in the past, but will either man go into battle brimming with confidence?

Some players can feel very fortunate they made the final cut, not because they’re not good enough, but because there are concerns about their fitness and readiness, while many who didn’t make it will be feeling upset, disappointed and even bitter.

Injuries are a part of the game and considering the status of some men who’ll board the plane to England next Friday this World Cup may, in the end, not be destined for them. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the Boks suffered a good number of setbacks after arriving in England because there are simply too many players coming off injuries or having not played enough rugby for there to be absolute confidence the team will go through the tournament intact.

What that means is the likes of Frans Steyn, Lionel Mapoe, Jan Serfontein, Elton Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, Heinrich Brüssow, Flip van der Merwe, Vincent Koch, Marcell van der Merwe and Steven Kitshoff could very well still play a role at the tournament.

Just four years ago the hero for New Zealand was Stephen Donald – the fourth choice flyhalf – after injuries had struck down all those ahead of him. The above-mentioned players shouldn’t lose hope; miracles do happen in sport and any one of them could turn out to be the hero down the line.

No one will agree 100percent with Meyer’s chosen squad – and yes, there are concerns – but should those injured men come good and the team clicks there’s no doubt they’re good enough to win the tournament. World Cup titles are not won by being flashy; they’re won by the team that gels best and clicks for eight weeks. The Boks have the potential to do just that. - The Star

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