Breaking Boks

Breaking Boks

If the first round of Super Rugby is anything to go by, South African players are in for a long or actually short year.

The 2015 season is not even a week old and already the injury list resembles a basketball starting team (with the height to match).

Injuries are bound to happen and part and parcel of a very physical game such as rugby.

But with the world cup only seven months away, the Springboks will be hoping to have their strongest possible squad fit and ready for the approaching quadrennial showpiece.

Ironically, this season Saru and the unions agreed to rest contracted Boks in order to have them fresh and injury free for the world cup.

But round one of the first tournament of the season suggests that Heyneke Meyer could be missing key players come August.

It’s already likely that Meyer will be without captain Jean de Villiers for their assault on the Webb Ellis Trophy.

But with many brutal weeks between now and the world cup who else will miss out on a
trip to England due to injury?

Round 1 of Super Rugby saw the following players check into the casualty ward:

1.    Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira – calf strain  (few weeks)

2.    Werner Kruger - ankle (six weeks)

3.    Arno Botha -  pectoral injury (two-three weeks)

4.    Lood de Jager - elbow (seven weeks)

5.    Ruan Botha – ankle (tbc)


Boks and potential Boks on the injury list before Super Rugby 2015 kicked off:


1.    Morne Mellett (ribs)

2.    Jacques du Plessis (hip)

3.    Flip van der Merwe (pectoral)

4.    Eben Etzebeth (chest)

5.    Jean de Villiers (knee)

6.    Siya Kolisi (hamstring)

7.    Jaco Taute (knee)


8.    Heinrich Brussow (concussion).

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