Zeena Isaacs
9 November 2009
Johannesburg — INJURIES from Friday's 22-17 defeat against Leicester have forced Springbok coach Peter de Villiers to back down on his stance that only locally based players should represent the national team, with the coach calling on tighthead prop CJ van der Linde yesterday to provide cover on the European tour.
Van der Linde, who is contracted to Irish club Leinster, will replace Jannie du Plessis, who suffered a hand injury.
Du Plessis, loosehead prop Gurthro Steenkamp (knee) and hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle (foot) -- the starting front row smashed by Leicester at Welford Road -- were forced to withdraw from the touring squad due to injuries at the weekend. Cheetahs prop Wian du Preez and hooker Adriaan Strauss replaced Steenkamp and Ralepelle.
But Van der Linde's call-up came as a shock as De Villiers has been adamant since taking over as national coach that overseas-based players would be last in line to play for the team. Van der Linde last played for the Boks last season in the Tri-Nations.
Apart from his world-class scrummaging skills, he could offer invaluable input into Ireland's scrummaging ahead of their Test on November 28 -- the Springboks take on France, Italy and Ireland on tour. De Villiers was delighted about Van der Linde's availability and said: "It's fantastic that we're able to call on a player with CJ's experience to join the squad. With such a tight schedule it is also helpful to be able to bring in someone who has been part of the group before, knows the systems and will settle in quickly.
"CJ is also a specialist tighthead who will provide the type of cover we will need. It is unfortunate that we have lost three players so early in the tour, but that is part of the game and we have to be able to manage such setbacks."
Commenting on the call-up of Du Preez and Strauss, national selection convener Peter Jooste said: "Wian and Adriaan have always been part of our plans and they have been part of the set-up before, so they were the logical choices."
While the youngsters could be forgiven for their mistakes against a determined Leicester outfit in the cold and wet conditions, the Bok tight five were a disgrace.
De Villiers named Steenkamp, Du Plessis, Ralepelle and locks Danie Rossouw and Andries Bekker in the tight five in what was the strongest combination in the team. But they were horribly embarrassed by the Leicester pack.
However, for a select few, including fullback Earl Rose, centre Wynand Olivier and flanks Dewald Potgieter and Jean Deysel, the game served the purpose set out by the selectors -- as a platform to play themselves into the national squad.
Flyhalf Ruan Pienaar's display was particularly disappointing, as he battled to take control of the game behind his struggling pack -- a performance that did nothing for his hopes of knocking Morné Steyn out of the Test team.
Jooste, meanwhile, was delighted that SA Rugby's bosses and the sports ministry resolved concerns over Zimbabwean prop Tendai Mtawarira's participation in the year-end tour.
Mtawarira made his Test debut early last year, yet the sports ministry decided last week that SA Rugby had to explain the selection of a "non- South African national" over a local player in line with a clause in the National Sport & Recreation Amendment Act, 2007.
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