The Springboks could lose the services of another Rugby World Cup winner ahead of their upcoming tour to Europe after tighthead prop Frans Malherbe sustained an injury while on duty for the Stormers.
After last playing in the Boks’ final Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Mbombela last month, he returned to action for the Stormers in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with Glasgow Warriors in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
Did not leave with Springboks for training camp
However, Malherbe left the field with an injured ankle after 50 minutes and, according to a report on the Rugby365 website, the 33-year-old was not part of the Springboks squad which departed for a training camp in Jersey on Sunday.
The Boks will finalise their preparations for their Tests against Scotland, England and Wales in November.
He is one of three Springboks who were injured against Glasgow Warriors with fellow World Cup winner Damian Willemse (utility back) and Ben-Jason Dixon (blindside flank) also limping off in the Stormers’ 28-17 defeat.
Willemse sustained a groin injury while scoring the Stormers’ first try and has been ruled out of the Boks’ tour with Bulls number eight Cameron Hanekom coming into the world champions’ squad as his replacement.
Meanwhile, Dixon, who was not included in the Boks squad, suffered a knee injury, although the severity of it is yet to be determined.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson gave an update on the injury situation in their camp shortly after the Glasgow match.
“They’re going for scans,” he said on Saturday evening. “Damian’s got a groin injury and Franna (Malherbe) rolled his ankle.
‘Going for scans’
“I think of the two I’d be more worried about Damian, but they’re both going for scans. It wasn’t a good day for us at all; luckily I don’t think it’s anything serious – I think they’re a week or two (off) cases.”
Willemse’s injury turned out worse than Dobson predicted and it means that he will not participate in any Springboks Tests this year as he missed the mid-year internationals and the Rugby Championship after having surgery on a finger injury.
If Malherbe does not join the Boks squad he will be the third player to withdraw from their European tour, after Willemse and Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Due to Wessels’ versatility, he was replaced by Bulls team-mates Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Wilco Louw (prop) and if Malherbe withdraws, Louw and Vincent Koch will be the two specialist tightheads in head coach Rassie Erasmus’ squad.
Thomas du Toit is able to pack down on both sides of the scrum while Ox Nche and Gerhard Steenekamp are the specialist looseheads in the 35-man group.