Springboks get welcome boost with return of Pieter-Steph du Toit
Despite being added to the injury list after the Ireland defeat, the utility player might just play in The Rugby Championship opener.
Rassie Erasmus says Pieter-Steph du Toit’s availability to tackle the Wallabies could cause a change of plans with the Bomb Squad for the first Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane.
There were concerns over Du Toit’s availability for next Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener after he was one of three key players added to the injury list after the defeat to Ireland in Durban.
Franco Mostert suffered a broken leg that has kept him out of the initial Rugby Championship squad, while Malcolm Marx has been included despite also suffering a leg fracture, which has been deemed not to be as serious as initially feared.
Erasmus said during a press conference in Johannesburg that Du Toit suffered a bruised knee and has also been battling the flu, but will be fit to face the Wallabies.
“Pieter-Steph is ready to play next week and that makes team selection very interesting,” Erasmus said.
“We may not have to put another lock on the bench, or in a six-two split, we may pick two loose-forwards on the bench because Pieter-Steph covers number five lock.
“He has to be fit to do that. He had a little bit of a knee bruise, which he’s got over, but he’s also got a bit of flu that didn’t allow him to train fully over the past two days.
“We don’t have guys in the 33 carrying injuries, with someone like Faf de Klerk carrying a groin injury and we chose to leave him behind.”
In another big boost on the injury front, Erasmus confirmed that outside backs Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse (both hand injuries) should be ready for the two home Tests against the All Blacks in Johannesburg (August 31) and Cape Town (September 7).
“Moodie will be ready to play next week, while Willemse has another three weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Erasmus confirmed that veteran loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff is also fully fit, but he decided to take youngster Jan-Hendrik Wessels to Australia due to the Rugby World Cup winner’s lack of recent game time due to a knee injury.
“Kitshoff is ready to play but this is where Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ selection makes sense,” Erasmus explained.
“Kitsie must play some rugby now that he’s ready to play, but he needs some game time. Malcolm is a 70-percenter to play next week, but we don’t want to take Kitsie and Malcolm, who is dodgy.
“Wessels can cover loosehead prop and hooker and that selection makes sense.”
The post Pieter-Steph cleared to wrestle Wallabies appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
