Skinstad back in Bok jersey?
2006-11-28 22:11
London - Former Springbok loose forward Bob Skinstad could play for South Africa again but will have to prove his worth in Super 14 or Currie Cup rugby first.
Springbok coach Jake White mentioned this important condition when he was asked about Skinstad's position here on Tuesday.
White said he had - as was the case with tighthead prop Cobus Visagie - made no promises when he and Skinstad met on Monday.
"I am glad Bob is thinking about playing competitive rugby again. But I made it clear to him that he would have to prove himself against our best before I could consider him," White said.
Skinstad now plays for the English club Richmond. Despite his history as an international loose forward, he now sometimes turns out at centre. Whether he still has the ability to play at top level is uncertain.
When they are all fit, South Africa can choose from loose forwards such as Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Pierre Spies, Pedrie Wannenburg, AJ Venter, Jacques Cronjé, Hilton Lobberts, Kabamba Floors and Danie Rossouw.
White also said that even though he would consider selecting Visagie, South Africa had good tighthead props such as CJ van der Linde and BJ Botha. Others, such as Jannie du Plessis and Rayno Gerber, had made good progress during the Currie Cup season.
"That is why I was so eager to see Cobus play for the Springboks against the World XV on Sunday.
"I wanted to see how well he will fit into the Springbok team. But I understand that he did not have the option of deciding for which team he wanted to play," White said.
Visagie and Deon Carstens are likely to continue their rivalry in the front row in Leicester on Sunday. Visagie had the better of their battle during a similar match at Ellis Park early this year.
Carstens knows his chances of being selected for the SA World Cup team next year could depend on his performance against the former Springbok.