Ex supersport
The immediate benefactor might be one of Keegan Daniel, Jacques Potgieter or Siya Kolisi, but Pierre Spies’s shock withdrawal from the Springbok squad because of a finger injury should serve to increase the focus on Duane Vermeulen’s return to the playing field this weekend.
Re Spies injury - “Surgical correction is needed in order to prevent permanent damage. The usual rehabilitation time for such injuries is eight to 12 weeks.”
That time period will mean that Spies will not be back before the Boks conclude their campaign against the All Blacks in Soweto in early October.
But it is known that he (Meyer) is a big fan of the in-form Sharks No 8 Ryan Kankowski, who was not selected for the two test matches against Argentina as Meyer wanted to allow him to start his stint with his Japanese club.
He did say though at the squad announcement in Worcester 12 days ago that Kankoswki might come back into the reckoning after the Argentina matches.
If Kankowski is in the squad that heads to Australia for the Antipodean leg of the Championship, the group would not have been weakened by the loss of Spies.
Meyer was also looking forward to having Vermeulen back in the mix, and he will be waiting eagerly to see how the big Western Province loose-forward goes in his comeback match on Saturday.
He is set to wear the WP No 8 in their Currie Cup match against Griquas in Kimberley which will be played immediately before the test match at Newlands.
If Vermeulen comes through that game without mishap, he could well be on the plane to Argentina early next week.
The Boks face the Pumas in their return match in Mendoza on 25 August. Their opening game of the Australasian leg of their Championship challenge is set for Perth two weeks later (8 September).
One can only hope all goes well with Duane (26 years old 116 kg - Lest ou snapster says he is over the hill!)
