Injury epidemic in Bok camp

2006-08-16 15:51

Johannesburg - Springbok coach Jake White is running out of players and the injury epidemic in the Bok camp was epitomised on Wednesday when White had to cancel their afternoon training session because of niggling injuries to his players.

The Boks only managed to put in some meaningful time at their training grounds at St Stithians College on Wednesday morning with White opting to minimise the risk of injuries to more players after Juan Smith, Joe van Niekerk, Jean de Villiers and Jacque Cronje suffered an assortment of injuries.

The niggling injuries have done little to help White accumulate much needed mileage in the legs of his squad ahead of their home Tri-Nations encounter against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld next Saturday.

And while White is counting his walking wounded, Lions flyhalf Andre Pretorius and Blue Bulls utility forward Danie Rossouw will remain with the squad until further assessment of their injuries on Sunday when the squad begins training in Pretoria.

Pretorius who is suffering from compartment syndrome in his calf as well as shin splints is likely to be fit next week to take warrant selection into the starting 22 while Rossouw who is still recovering from a hamstring injury might not be considered because of his lack of match fitness.

Cronje twisted his ankle

"Juan Smith tweaked his hamstring, Jean de Villiers got a bump on his right leg, Jacques Cronje twisted his ankle and Joe van Niekerk has a calf strain," White said on his injured players.

"Andre will stay with us until Monday and we'll assess him then. There is nothing we can do between now and Monday and make a call whether we'll replace him or keep him on or bring someone else in. At this point in time he can't run or do anything so it would be pointless releasing him to his union because I don't think it will benefit anybody," added White.

"Danie is still undergoing treatment on his hamstring and is still in pain and again there will be no call made until Monday. He might be okay to start training on Monday but then he won't be match fit or fit enough to last a Test match.

"It shows you, again, that the players playing over and over are fatigued. It is little bit frustrating because the more we put in the more we risk players getting to their point of breakdown," White said at a media briefing at the team hotel in Johannesburg.

- SAPA