NEWS UPDATE: South Africa’s injury situation appears to be approaching crisis proportions.

@rugby365com can reveal that another player, still listed as a member of the Springbok squad, did not get on the plane when it departed for a training camp in Jersey on Sunday.

The team will prepare there for a week ahead of their year-end Tests against Scotland, England and Wales.

Prop Frans Malherbe is the latest casualty.

He was one of three Springboks injured in the Stormers’ 17-28 United Rugby Championship loss to the defending champions, Glasgow Warriors, in Stellenbosch at the weekend.

The others were utility back Damian Willemse and loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon.

Willemse, who suffered a groin injury while scoring a try at the Danie Craven Stadium, was officially withdrawn on Sunday and replaced by Bulls loose forward Cameron Hanekom.

Dixon, who was not selected for the tour, suffered a knee injury and went for scans.

@rugby365com can also reveal that Willemse, who only recently returned from finger surgery that saw him miss all the mid-year and Rugby Championship Tests, will be sidelined for three to four months with the groin injury.

He is unlikely to be back in action before February next year.

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The big concern for the Boks will be the absence of stalwart prop Malherbe, who rolled his ankle against the Warriors.

He is the third Bok casualty since the year-end tour squad was announced last week.

Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Wilco Louw (prop) were called up to replace the injury withdrawal of utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

On Sunday Willemse was replaced by Hanekom, but no replacement was announced for Malherbe.

The official Springbok media release still lists him as a member of the touring squad.

However, there are now only two specialist tighthead props in the group – Vincent Koch and Wilco Louw, although Thomas du Toit can play on both sides of the front row.

The loosehead props are Ox Nche and Gerhard Steenekamp.

@king365ed
@rugby365com

 

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