CAPE TOWN – Springbok coach Allister Coetzee will breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday after tighthead prop Coenie Oosthuizen was cleared for the Rugby Championship tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Oosthuizen, who was the Man of the Match against Argentina in Port Elizabeth two weeks ago, sustained a rib injury in the past weekend’s 41-23 away game against Los Pumas in Salta.
The Sharks No 3 went for a scan in Durban on Tuesday, and the Boks announced on Wednesday that there was no fracture of the ribs.
So Oosthuizen will join his teammates in Johannesburg on Friday, where the Boks will gather before jetting off to Perth in two groups – on Friday and Saturday – ahead of next weekend’s clash against the Wallabies at the Subiaco Oval.
Bok team doctor Konrad von Hagen, though, said in a statement that Oosthuizen will only be considered for selection against Australia “if his pain and discomfort settles sufficiently”.
The other tighthead props in the squad are Trevor Nyakane and Ruan Dreyer.
The Springboks, who currently lead the Rugby Championship log on points, face the All Blacks in their second tour match on September 16 at the North Harbour Stadium in Albany.
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