By Ayanda Nyuswa
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says there are no major injury concerns in his squad ahead of next month’s Rugby Championship home matches against Australia. The double World Cup winning coach addressed the media on Tuesday, as the Boks continue with preparations to host the Wallabies.
Erasmus named a strong 37-man squad that is already hard at work in preparation for their opening matches against the Wallabies with two tests in Johannesburg on 16 August, and Cape Town on 23 August. South Africa began the international season with a clean sweep of three wins in 3, beating Georgia and Italy twice on home soil. Erasmus used over 40 players during the incoming series and gave a number of players their first caps in Bok colours. The Bok technical team opted for a more settled squad for the more tougher games in the Rugby Championship, which will also see the world champions travel to New Zealand to face the All Blacks in Auckland and Wellington in September.
Erasmus has confirmed that backline players Canaan Moodie and Cheslin Kolbe are the only players who are carrying niggles, but should recover quickly and return to training.
“Injury update in the team, Canaan has got a bit of a hand issue but should be cleared up on Monday,” said Erasmus.
“Cheslin had a bit of a knee but he seems to be okay. In the squad currently with us there are no big injury concerns with the 37 guys who are here. We also got the 3 young guys who are training with us, all injury free. Guys who have long term injuries, I can’t go deep into the guys but Elrigh (Louw) is one, Frans Malherbe is one, Gerhard Steenekamp is one, I think 6 weeks before his ready I think he is struggling but the Bulls are doing the rehab on him.”
