Concern in Springbok camp

Ruan Pienaar is expected to remain among the substitutes when South Africa take on England in the second rugby Test in Pretoria on Saturday writes Liam Del Carme for Beeld 

Concern about the fitness of several Springboks could force the selectors to make more changes than they had planned after the 58-10 victory in Bloemfontein last weekend.

To limit the number of changes, Ricky Januarie, who produced a rather-unpolished performance in the first Test, probably will be retained at scrumhalf in the starting line-up for the second Test.

Pienaar, who was brilliant from broken play when he was sent out as right wing towards the end of the first Test, is therefore likely to remain on the bench in the absence of the SA first-choice scrumhalf, Fourie du Preez, who still is injured.

Allister Coetzee, the national team’s backline coach, was unwilling to speculate about the matter when asked on Tuesday how Pienaar could elevate himself in the selection order.

“We have scrumhalves whose styles are different,” he said. “We must ensure we have a scrumhalf who can play in wet conditions and one who can get things moving on a dry ground by going on the run.

“Fourie and Ruan are able to kick the ball a long way. Ricky’s tough game enables him to put pressure on the opposition’s defence close to the forwards.”

If changes have to be made for the match at Loftus Versfeld, they won’t be the result of political interference. This time the flu will be to blame.

Prop forwards BJ Botha and Deon Carstens, loose forward Danie Rossouw, centres Wynand Olivier and Waylon Murray and wing Ashwin Willemse all missed the practice session on Tuesday.

Assistant Springbok coach Gert Smal said all of them should be fit by Saturday, but their absence at training must worry the coaching staff.

CJ van der Linde had the opportunity to take Botha’s place alongside John Smit and Gurthrö Steenkamp when the Springbok pack worked out against the scrum machine on Tuesday.

In Bloemfontein, the scrumming was not nearly perfect and Smal conceded that they had little time to solve the problems before the second Test.

“We’ll just have to make the best of the time at our disposal,” he said, without disclosing what the forwards were trying to rectify.

With Rossouw among the flu victims, Pierre Spies’s chances of getting into the starting line-up must have improved markedly.

However, it is still uncertain whether Jaque Fourie will be ready to replace Olivier in midfield. Fourie passed a fitness test on Monday, but has not played for some time.

It also seems likely that Akona Ndungane will take over from Willemse on the right wing.