Boks close to clean bill of health
It's mostly good news for the Springboks as a number of their big guns look set to be fit and ready when the Rugby World Cup kicks-off on September 19.
After last weekend's 26-12 over Argentina, the Bok doc was pleased to announce no new injury concerns. With Marcell Coetzee and Jean de Villiers the latest casualties just a week before, many feared that a few more would be injured in Buenos Aires with less than a month to go before the global showpiece gets underway.
"The good news is that we came through the Argentina game without any major injuries, just a few bumps and bruises. The guys who have been injured have been training really hard while we’ve been over in Argentina, they had a really big training week and we’re really happy with their progress," Roberts said.
"Coenie Oosthuizen (neck injury) is in his last stages of rehab – he’s doing really well and will start doing some contact and a little bit of scrumming now. He needs that before we go to the World Cup."
"We’re really happy with Duane Vermeulen's progress. He’s looking incredibly fit at the moment; he’s been able to do a lot of work and conditioning but obviously no contact. Francois Louw had that shoulder rotator cuff tear. He’s really turned the corner in the last 10 days – he’s really improved and we’re happy with him."
“Duane will only take contact when we go on tour. He may be available for that first game, but we may only look at him at the second or third game of our pool depending on how he goes and the specialist feels. Duane is going to end up going over there without having done much contact.”
Roberts added that the likes of Fourie du Preez and Jannie du Plessis could have played had there been a match this weekend. Willie le Roux is also just about recovered from an ankle sprain.
The only player who is racing against time is Coetzee, who picked up a bad knee injury in Durban.
“Marcell Coetzee is the biggest concern at the moment. He’s got a really nasty medial knee ligament sprain. Having said that he has done well over the last couple of weeks and is progressing nicely. Things are still on track for him to be available but we’re taking it day by day.”
Last but not least, skipper De Villiers should also be fighting fit next month.
“Jean was very unlucky. He worked incredibly hard to get over his knee injury, it’s been a long hard road and then he took a knock and broke his jaw. He’s doing well apart from the fact that he can’t eat any solid food. We thought we’d be creative with the foods he can eat and I think he’s sick and tired of pureed food and smoothies at the moment,” Roberts joked.
“But he’s doing well; he’s been able to condition during this time and work on his knee. It really is just time for that bone to heal up.”
The Boks are expected to name their 31-man squad for the World Cup next week Friday, 28 August. They will continue their preparations in Durban.
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