Bismarck injury adds to Bok woes
The Springboks' front row crisis at the World Cup tournament took yet another turn for the worse on Thursday when replacement hooker Bismarck du Plessis joined the team's casualty list.
It was revealed that Du Plessis' "stiff back" has become a bigger headache for Springbok coach Jake White, with the Sharks hooker set to consult a neurologist on Friday to determine the full extent of his injury.
It is suspected that his ongoing back problem, which is not responding to treatment, may be nerve-related, but the South African coaching staff have dismissed reports that a decision has already been taken to send Du Plessis home.
However, if Du Plessis - himself a pre-tournament 'injury' replacement for Pierre Spies - is indeed ruled out, the Bok coach may call up a loose forward; where injuries have also had a devastating effect on the team's resources.
It is believed that Lions number eight Jacques Cronjé, who played in a series of World Cup warm-up matches, is on standby for Du Plessis, the younger brother of SA's newest squad addition, prop Jannie du Plessis, who joined up with the Boks in Marseille on Thursday - as a prop replacement for BJ Botha.
With possibly just two RWC matches to go after Sunday, White will be able to get by with just two hookers.
The latest potential setback follows on the injuries to tighthead props BJ Botha, who is already back home with knee ligament damage, and CJ van der Linde, who is being treated for a "bruised" knee which he suffered at training earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Bok coach Jake White confirmed on Thursday that London Irish prop Faan Rautenbach was on standby to replace Van der Linde - should the latter not make sufficient recovery from his injury to take part in the last two weeks of the tournament.
But Van der Linde's condition remains a concern, with White telling a media gathering that the tendons had been bruised, but that there was no ligament damage.
"We are still playing a waiting game with regards to CJ and we will play him against the Fijians if he is ready," White told reporters.
"With a bruise there is not much you can do, you just have to wait and see and give the injury time to recover. He is walking with crutches at the moment to take the load off the knee.
"Jannie [du Plessis] will join the squad [on Thursday] and we will be giving him a crash course over the next few days just in case he has to play in the quarter-final.
"But obviously we must think about what we will do if CJ [van der Linde] is not ready, and Faan [Rautenbach] has played for South Africa before and he has been part of our squad in the past. It's not ideal, because it would mean our two top props are out, but we need to be prepared."
The Bok coach said a call on whether Rautenbach would be needed would be made on Monday.
White was not concerned about Du Plessis' ability to step in at such short notice, even though he will have a few days only with the squad before Sunday's quarter-final meeting with Fiji.
"Jannie scrummed really well against [All Black prop] Tony Woodcock [in the Tri-Nations Test in Christchurch] and I don't think he will struggle against Fiji," White added.
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