The Springboks were dealt another blow shortly before their tour to Britain and Italy with the news on Thursday that openside flank Jaco Kriel has been ruled out.
The Golden Lions confirmed that Kriel‚ who has been playing in Japan since the conclusion of the Rugby Championship‚ tore medial cruciate ligaments in his left knee playing for the Kubota Spears.
It was only a grade two tear but it will rule him out for a minimum of four weeks.
That leaves the uncapped Roelof Smit as the only specialist openside flank on tour. Springbok coach Allister Coetzee will name a replacement later.
Coetzee gathered his troops in Johannesburg this week and in the squad of 30 that departs for the United Kingdom on Friday night‚ the Springbok coach is without a number of his senior charges who ply their trade overseas.
He has been working with 12 young players and the exciting loose trio of Uzair Cassiem‚ Roelof Smit and Jean-Luc du Preez are among them.
The newcomers have all expressed excitement at being included in the national squad for the first time.
additional reporting by Chumani Bambani
- TMG Digital
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