Fourie du Preez is set to make his return to the Springbok fold next week when Argentina visit Durban for the final Rugby Championship match of the competition.
In spite of not playing a Test match since June last year, the 33-year-old remains coach Heyneke Meyer’s first choice No9 for the World Cup, kicking off in England in the latter stages of September.
Fourie’s last outing in the green and gold came on Handré Pollard’s debut in Port Elizabeth against Scotland last June; the two players expected to be the Boks’ first choice halfback pairing in England.
Meyer is hoping that the veteran scrumhalf will come through training unscathed next week after Du Preez suffered a medial knee ligament injury a little over a month ago while training with his Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath.
Up to now Meyer has used Ruan Pienaar at No9 with Cobus Reinach as his back-up, but a fit Du Preez is considered key to the Boks’ plans of taking on the world in England.
In further good news for Meyer, regular captain Jean de Villiers is also set to return to the Bok side next week. De Villiers enjoyed 20 minutes off the bench against the World XV at the start of the month and has since also turned out for Western Province. He will also be hoping to show Meyer he is fully over the knee injury he suffered last November.
Other players on the comeback trail are Willem Alberts and Pieter-Steph du Toit, the latter playing for the Sharks in a Currie Cup warm-up game on Friday. Jan Serfontein (hip and knee), Marcell Coetzee (knee) and Steven Kitshoff (knee) will also be assessed on Monday with a view to being available to selection against the Pumas.
“All of these players have worked hard during their rehabilitation and although we still have to put them through a final assessment on Monday after we’ve re-assembled in Durban, I’m hopeful that they should be fit to face Argentina in at least one of the two forthcoming Tests,” said Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts.
The Boks will travel to Beunos Aires after the Durban Test to take on Argentina again – their last outing before heading to the World Cup.
Duane Vermeulen, Coenie Oosthuizen and Frans Steyn are still some way off playing, but according to Roberts, could be fit for World Cup selection. Steyn could even feature in the away game against the Pumas.
It is, however, not all good news for the Boks. Jannie du Plessis (knee), Francois Louw (shoulder), Victor Matfield and JP Pietersen (both hamstrings) will miss both Tests against Argentina while there is some concern about Frans Malherbe’s bruised hip bone, picked up in the Brisbane Test.
He will consult a specialist later this week and be assessed in Durban on Monday.
Saturday’s other injury victims, Vincent Koch and Warren Whiteley (rib cartilages) should be fit and available for selection next weekend. But, Meyer said the national selectors may have to consider possible cover at tighthead if Koch and Malherbe are both ruled out of the Tests against Argentina.
“We’ll have a look at Vincent and Frans in Durban and if they are not fit, we may have to bring someone in,” said Meyer.
He added he was likely to make a few changes to his team for the Tests against Argentina. “While it’s never ideal to lose experienced players to injury, it provides others with opportunities.
“We wanted to mix things up a bit in the two Tests against Argentina and the next players in line will now have to show they can perform at the highest level before we finalise the Rugby World Cup squad.” - The Star