Springboks’ forwards coach Gert Smal was confident that the six Boks who have been laid low with flu ahead of the second Test against England would be up and running before the game at Loftus.
Danie Rossouw, Deon Carstens, Ashwin Willemse, BJ Botha, Wynand Olivier and Waylon Murray, were all unable to train at St Stithians on Tuesday and were being kept in quarantine away from the healthy players.
“We trust and believe that they will be ready by Saturday,” said Smal.
While five of those players were in the run-on side in Bloemfontein – Rossouw, Carstens, Willemse, Botha and Olivier – Smal believes that the strength in depth in the squad will cover any late withdrawals.
“Fortunately we have a lot of depth and what we are actually doing is trying to phase in different players in any case so if anything happens they will be ready whenever they have to come in.”
Even after the crushing 58-10 defeat of the English in the first Test Smal believes that the Boks game still needs a bit of tweaking.
“There are a lot of areas where we can improve,” he said. “Our tight phases were not that good and Jake said after the game that our attack from first phase was not good enough. But it was always going to be a tough week for us coming back from the Super 14 and the first time the guys have played together.”
Boks backline coach, Alistair Coetzee, however, was well pleased with the backs display. “Ja, I thought they were very good. I said to the backline that this is the season that we would come of age. We’ve battled a bit at number 10 where we haven’t had the perfect guy who would suit our style of play. But with Andre (Pretorius), Butchy (Butch James) doing well and also Frans Steyn and Derick Hougaard, who had a great Super 14, we have plenty of quality at ten which gives the outside backs a lot of confidence.”
Coetzee will also be encouraged with the return from injury of centre Jacque Fourie and winger Akona Ndungane, who were both going through set pieces with the first choice backline.
JP Pietersen has also returned and will be cover for Percy Montgomery at fullback, while Os du Randt and Andre Pretorius are both being monitored with ailments.
AJ Venter, who married last Saturday and was at training on Tuesday was in the words of Bok manager Zola Yeye “released amicably to go and finish unfinished business.”
The “business” also includes negotiating a new contract with the Sharks and Venter will rejoin the squad for the build-up to the Samoan Test the following Saturday.
The Springbok team to play England on Saturday will be announced on Wednesday.