Lionel Mapoe: Replaces Frans Steyn
Golden Lions centre Lionel Mapoe and Blue Bulls loose forward Arno Botha have been called up to the Springboks squad in place of the injured Frans Steyn and Jacques Potgieter.
Steyn requires surgery on his injured ankle and Potgieter is struggling with an abdominal strain picked up during a Currie Cup match last weekend.
Steyn will undergo surgery on Wednesday to clean out old pieces of bone fragments in his ankle joint.
"This was discovered after the Springboks' medical team had a number of scans and x-rays done on the Springbok midfielder last week," said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
"Losing Frans is a big blow as he is one of our most experienced players.
"However, it's better that he gets the ankle sorted out properly as he still has a long rugby career ahead of him and can play many more Tests for South Africa.
"Jacques could not train last week and we were hoping to get him ready for selection for this week, but he has not responded as well as we had hoped and subsequently it was decided to withdraw him from the squad as he would not be available this weekend."
Four more players did not take part in training in Johannesburg on Monday, as they are all nursing various bumps and bruises from last Saturday's victory over Australia in Pretoria.
They are Zane Kirchner (hip pointer), Johan Goosen (bruised heel), Willem Alberts (hip) and Jannie du Plessis (knee).
"Seeing that Willem is also not 100% at the moment, we only have three fit loose forwards in the squad and needed someone to provide cover at blindside flank and number eight, which is why Arno is coming to join us," explained Meyer.
"He was part of our Young Guns squad in June as has been in our plans before.
"Lionel has been in great form lately and apart from providing cover in the midfield, he can also be used on the wing if necessary."
Furthermore, Springbok prop Coenie Oosthuizen will consult a specialist in Durban on Tuesday to further examine his neck.
"I've not been completely happy with his neck, as he still showed symptoms after having played in the Currie Cup last weekend," said team doctor Craig Roberts.
"We're seeking another opinion as we need to make the right decision for his career.
"Coenie is a young player and potentially he has a long career ahead of him, so long term we need to make the right decisions and can't put him at risk in any way."
Comments
martinmarais78 says...
Jaystarr, put your toys back in the cott as Jensrsa said, Brussouw is out... What a shame!
Posted 09:51 03rd October 2012
Jensrsa says...
@JayStarr: Brussouw is out for six months.
Arno Botha was the 2011 u/20 Bok captain and plays # 7 and 8 and youngster with huge potential. Also probably in HM's "Dream Team" for 2015
Posted 06:12 03rd October 2012
JayStarr says...
@ Herbman: I don't CARE if Brussouw is not a no. 8 or 7 - if Alberts gets injured Coetzee can play there, or Francois Louw, who played 7 for his entire time at the Stormers and plays 8 for Bath. We are covered at 7 and 8 - we are not covered at fetcher. And besides, Brussouw brings something WAY ABOVE what this no-name brings... What happened to HM's excuses for "experience" now!? He keeps changing his tune!
@ Jenrsa: Mapoe is better at the moment than all those players you mentioned, except for Paul Jordaan. Sorry, but Jordaan is the most electric player I have seen in a very long time - more so than Mapoe has ever been.
Posted 18:24 02nd October 2012
JayStarr says...
WHO THE HELL IS ARNO BOTHA!!!!???
Just as I thought HM was regaining his sanity he comes and does this !
I honestly have NO IDEA who this person is! AND HE'S CALLED UP FOR THE SPRINGBOKS !!!!!?:????? WHIILE HEINRICH BRUSSOUW IS STILL BEING LEFT OUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Heineke Meyer is going to drive me insane before 2015.
Posted 18:16 02nd October 2012
HRFC2 says...
Jebb Sinclair to the rescue!!
Posted 17:42 02nd October 2012
martinmarais78 says...
Daibok, how are you Boetie? Rook jy nog die boom?
Just read the other comments and use your dik kop to work out that HM is bringing in another loosie in Arno instead of Brussouw... Eich!
Posted 17:21 02nd October 2012
daibok says...
Martinmarais - what in gods name has your comment got to do with anything either posted or in the article? Or did whoever read it to you leave out the subject matter? Surely somebody in Pofadder can read English.
Posted 13:21 02nd October 2012
martinmarais78 says...
Yep, I can see it all now:
Brussow: Cheetahs -> Sharks (Turned into wing, due to some imported French no 6 in Shark team) -> France -> Forgotten!
Thanks HM!
Posted 10:46 02nd October 2012
tuffnut says...
@Bloemboy, I couldn't agree with you more. HM should bring back Greyling for the All Blacks game this Saturday! :-) lol
Posted 09:37 02nd October 2012
Jensrsa says...
@Bloemboy, Lionel is play way better rugby at centre at the moment than any of Jordaan, Engelbrecht, Ebersohn or Whitehead and he covers wing which only JJ can do.
Keegan Daniel (showpony), JJ Engelbrecht (no form), Greyling (thug), Steyn (no form), Potgieter (should never have been), Vermaak (for some reason never used)
Meyer was always going to build on his initial squad as players either stepped up or faded and he has made incremental changes as players he wanted became available (Vermeulen, Goosen, Taute) or as he needed balance or cover (Flo, JdJ, Mapoe), so why blame him for largely improving the squad over time.
I agree though that certain players seem destined to be bench players or bag carriers under HM (Lambie, JdJ, Jantjies, Vermaak).
Posted 09:15 02nd October 2012
bloemboy says...
Arno Botha? What has happened to Brussouw, Daniel, Kolisi (still injured?), Kankowski, Strauss. The situation with Brussouw is a joke as one of the best loosies in the world seems to be the last person HM will ever pick.
Lionel Mapoe surely is behind the likes of Jordaan, Engelbrecht, Ebershon, Whitehead in tthe pecking order.
What is most concerning is the fact that HM picked a squad when he started and many of those players are not recalled when injuries happen. Looks to me like he had no clear idea to start with of what the capacity of the candidates were.
Kegan Daniel, JJ Englebrecht, Greyling, Steyn, Potgieter, Vermaak are all players that a month back were good enough to be in the squad according to HM. Has so much changed that these players are now useless, or were they not good enough to begin with? HM is showing a serious lack of consisstency despite this being his manntra in the beginning, and a serious lack in ability to identify proper talent.
So we beat the Wobblies, but they are a shadow of their former selves despite the best efforts of Robbie Deans. Problem is that victory has prolonged the tenure of a coach that has no business at international level. Bring in Deans, Erasmus or Mallet who are capable.
Posted 07:27 02nd October 2012
Jensrsa says...
Brussouw is injured again and could be out for the rest of the year
Posted 07:25 02nd October 2012
Herbman says...
You guys should really learn to read properly. Brussouw is not an 8.
Posted 06:41 02nd October 2012
Realbull says...
Jean Dyesel? and Paul Jordaan?
Posted 05:49 02nd October 2012
side_stepper says...
Giving Jordaan a call-up would've been a better idea...
Posted 04:39 02nd October 2012
philipjfry says...
Sorry, he's calling up who?
Posted 23:23 01st October 2012
melkdave says...
Why call up annother center ,when you have JdJ just warming the bench for gods sake.Also why hasnt H.Brussow been called up,his experianced, and damn good at the breakdown ect.Calling up more unexperianced players ,when his made such a song and dance about having experiance in the team/squad ,makes no sense to me.Not that im against potential class players training with the squad ect.But ignoring good quality players in favour of them ,is just stupid imho.
Posted 23:06 01st October 2012
Ben7 says...
Really?? What is HMs problem with Heinrich Brussow?????
Posted 22:24 01st October 2012