Given the cloud that has hung over the Springbok squad since the Rugby World Cup announcement, it was good to see that the Boks – and halfback Fourie du Preez in particular – were in much better spirits on Monday at the squad’s Johannesburg base.
With so much worry about a number of players in the team that have had little game time in the lead-up to the tournament, Du Preez and fellow Bok Duane Vermeulen were all smiles at the base as the Boks began their final preparations before departing for Brighton on Friday.
And for good reason. Both had a significant boost in their training regimes, coming through full training sessions without any worries and taking full contact as the squad continues to prepare for their World Cup campaign.
With two weeks to go, the boost will go down as a significant up in the squad fortunes, especially with so much uncertainty in the past few weeks about the two players.
Du Preez in particular, was a lot happier than in the squad announcement in Umhlanga nine days back where he professed to not being “at 100percent” after his recovery from a knee injury.
Team doctor Craig Roberts though, was probably the happiest of the lot as he spoke on the fitness, reiterating that all 31 players will be “fit and ready” by the time the World Cup rolls around.
But he was particularly happy with Du Preez.
“Fourie has done really well, obviously he hasn’t played a lot of rugby but for him we are trying to get him playing more and more simulated game time in training,” Dr Roberts said.
“He did the full training today including the contact session and took some nice hits. We’re building his confidence and he came through the training nicely. I’m happy with his progress, we’re still two weeks away and he is doing really well.”
Dr Roberts added that he wasn’t worried about the senior players in the side at the moment, but was simply glad they weren’t risking players in warm-up games at this stage before their departure.
“It’s always a catch 22 because there is a difference between training fit and match fit. But when guys have 50 caps and are experienced they generally get that match fitness and running lines a lot quicker. I’m generally comfortable with where we are. If we were playing in games this last weekend and we were picking up injuries, then I’d be worried to lose players in warm-up games which are not necessary.
In fact the Doctor’s worries were more illness than injury as both Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers were down with flu, while Eben Etzebeth confirmed he was under the weather and looking to take in as many liquids as possible.
“We’re building the guys up this week slowly. A lot of the guys have progressed into full training. Francois Louw did a full session and all the contact came together nicely. We’re building Duane into more and more contact. We’re still two weeks away from the first game and the guys are all ready.
“We had a few guys who didn’t train today, not through injury but more through illness. Bryan Habana and Jean de Villiers have both got flu, Eben Etzebeth, who is struggling with a calf strain, has got gastro, so he couldn’t play today. We have more illness than injury and obviously happy we are getting the guys up towards that first game and that they can do training.”
Dr Roberts underlined the fact that Etzebeth’s calf strain is a grade one injury and wasn’t causing them sleepless nights and that at least in his area, things are really on track for the Boks.
“At this stage everyone will be fit and ready for that first game. Obviously we’re taking it day by day but that is our plan, to have 31 players fit and ready for the coach to select the 23 he wants for his first game.
“The guys trained incredibly hard for the last three months in Durban and in the last few weeks in Durban really put in the hard yards so if I look at the guys and their body fat, how fit and lean they’re looking then I’m happy with them.”
The Boks will continue their build-up before having a big public farewell at Montecasino on Friday before departing for England.
Sounding a bit better and hopefully ou maaaikie will feel a bit more optimistic.
