Cape Town - Steven Kitshoff is set to make his Springbok debut in Saturday’s deciding Test against Ireland in Port Elizabeth after Trevor Nyakane was finally ruled out on Tuesday.
Former Stormers No 1 Kitshoff has had to bide his time over the last two weeks as Tendai Mtawarira started both games against the Irish, with Nyakane on the bench. But the latter picked up an ankle injury after coming on as a second-half substitute at Ellis Park in the Boks’ incredible 32-26 comeback victory in the second Test to level the series 1-1.
Scans on his ankle have shown no serious damage, but there is swelling and the Bok management decided on Tuesday morning that the Bulls front-rower won’t be ready by Saturday, and a replacement will be announced shortly.
That opens the door for French-based Kitshoff, who plays for Bordeaux in the Top 14, to make his long-awaited Test debut off the bench at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The 24-year-old from Somerset West was part of Heyneke Meyer’s Springbok squad last year and was set to play in the Rugby Championship to make a late bid for the World Cup squad, but a knee injury sustained in training meant that he couldn’t prove himself.
But now long-time mentor Allister Coetzee will most likely name him in his match-23 on Thursday, and it is an opportunity for Kitshoff to show that he has the ability to match his past Super Rugby form in the Test arena. His scrummaging in particular would’ve been honed even further over the last 12 months in the unforgiving French league, while he has always been a strong ball-carrier and defender.
Lock Lood de Jager is still not over his calf strain, which will see Franco Mostert continuing as the back-up on the bench. De Jager and Nyakane join Pat Lambie and Duane Vermeulen on the sidelines for the Port Elizabeth Test.
Meanwhile, Bok squad members Scarra Ntubeni, Nic Groom and Garth April have been released and will return to their Super Rugby franchises later on Tuesday, with the southern-hemisphere competition restarting next weekend.
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