Some Boks need game time

2008-07-20 14:57

Johannesburg - The weekend before the All Blacks thumped the Springboks in Wellington, they were instructed, with a few exceptions, to go and play club rugby.

The week before the Wallabies beat the Springboks, they did likewise with their players not needed and some returning from injury like Wycliff Palu and reserve hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau,

"It's important to allow these players to maintain their match fitness," Wallaby coach Robbie Deans said when he instructed seven of his side to play club rugby on June 21 in between the Test against Ireland and the first against France.

It's certainly something for the Springbok management to consider. The Bok squad will be cut to 23 or 24 for the incoming Tri-Nations fixtures with the others released to their unions, but in the selected squad there are bound to be some also in need of game time.

On Saturday, during the 16-9 defeat against Australia, it seemed that some Springboks were, in cricket parlance, short of time in the middle.

And while it was obviously impossible to give them a decent run in match situations during a tour, it could pay to get and keep a number of the players sharp before the next Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on August 16.

Short on match rugby

For some of the squad who return from Australasia on Sunday evening, there would be the outing against the Argentina Pumas at Ellis Park on August 9, but the others will have been without a match for at least three weeks when they play off bench the following week.

Pierre Spies had not had a run since June 14, when he was substituted after 59 minutes of the second Test against Wales. It showed on Saturday when he tired noticeably towards the end.

Conversely, the sharpness of Adriaan Strauss in his Test debut off the bench was also clear to see. He had been playing Currie Cup until the previous weekend.

Peter Grant has had a total of 48 minutes of match rugby as a replacement in two Tests in eight weeks since the Springbok camp under De Villiers started at Stellenbosch in the last week of May.

How sharp will Bolla Conradie be if needed against the All Blacks after his last five-minute outing on July 5?

And another three-week break for Kankowski, who had 31 minutes on Saturday after last playing in Cape Town against Italy on June 21 will not have him at his best either come August 9 or 16. The same applies to Spies.

Odwa Ndungane last played on July 5 and will have had a five-week break when Argentina play the Boks.

Injuries are an obvious danger, but that is the nature of the game - as is match fitness.

- SAPA