Several Springboks have pulled up lame since Rassie Erasmus announced his November squad.
Arguably, the most severe case is Frans Malherbe, who is currently on the treatment table following the Stormer’s loss to Glasgow Warriors on the weekend – his future seems uncertain.
The tighthead prop has been integral to Erasmus’ plans and was prevalent in the Bok’s last two World Cup-winning campaigns.
With no clear update regarding the seriousness of his injury, the Springboks coach has to wait before deciding whether to fly out a fresh recruit.
Update on the situation
“It’s our first time together after the Rugby Championship, and with the players doing different things over the last few weeks, it’s good to get back together and regroup,” said South Africa’s fitness coach Andy Edwards.
“The Vodacom URC players had a combination of down time with others playing, and the UK and European-based players are also back from their clubs, while the Japanese players were on a break.
“The main thing is to get back into the swing of things in terms of what the coaches want to do planning wise, and tightening things up again before the November internationals.
“With us being in Jersey, which is close to the UK, it will certainly make the transition easier for the players ahead of the November tour.
“Jersey has everything we need, and it’s close to the UK, especially with us heading to Scotland next, so there won’t be concerns around long-haul travel going into the first test, which is a big positive.
“It’s also a small island and gives us an opportunity to experience something different.
“I don’t think anyone in this group has been to Jersey before, and over and above that, they have world class facilities that are only a few years old, which ticks all the boxes for our high-performance needs with a great gym and fields.
“The L’Horizon Hotel looks out onto the ocean, so from a team perspective we can push hard in terms of rugby intensity, while also achieving the balance of down time and social cohesion before the tests,”
Will you be watching the Springboks this November?
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