Battered Boks in crisis as injuries mount up

[caption id="attachment_93433" align="alignright" width="300"] HOLDING ON: All blacks Captain Richie McCaw during The Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against South Africa at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg at the weekend - Picture: GALLO IMAGES[/caption]

AFTER two narrow Rugby Championship losses the Springboks are not only mentally battered but also have a mounting injury crisis – only seven weeks from their Rugby World Cup opener.

Saturday’s 27-20 loss to the All Blacks claimed a few more victims with props Jannie du Plessis (knee) and Vincent Koch (ribs), No 8 Warren Whiteley (ribs) and flank Francois Louw (shoulder) all crying off.

Du Plessis should mend in time for the Springboks’ next outing against Argentina at King’s Park on August 8, but there are deep concerns over Louw, Koch and Whiteley.

Losing Louw would be a devastating blow for the Springboks. He has been brilliant for three seasons and is vital to the breakdown battle.

Considering that No 8 Duane Vermeulen (neck), flank Marcell Coetzee (knee) and flank Willem Alberts (back) are all in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup, the Boks are in something of a loose-forward crisis.

“It was a big turning point when Francois Louw went off,” coach Heyneke Meyer said after the All Blacks clash.

“He popped his shoulder and the doctor is pretty worried about him.

“Jannie also has a medial cruciate ligament injury but we don’t immediately know how serious it is.

Meyer was full of praise for Brüssow’s efforts after such a long time away from the test arena. -Craig Ray