New dad Dreyer a doubt for Boks
CONFUSION: LIONS SURE HE WILL PLAY AGAINST PUMAS
Big blow as James Venter is out for the rest of the season.
There seems to be huge confusion about whether prop Ruan Dreyer will fly out with the Springboks on Saturday or turn out for the Lions in a Currie Cup game earlier the same day.
Dreyer, who earned his only Test cap in the third French Test at Ellis Park, was yesterday included in the 29-man Bok squad for the away leg of the Rugby Championship which include matches against Australia and New Zealand.
The Boks backline players are due to fly out on Friday night, while the forwards will depart on a separate flight on Saturday evening.
But the Lions were convinced yesterday that Dreyer will stay at home and is available for them to play in Saturday’s Currie Cup game at Ellis Park against the Pumas because of the birth of his baby boy Anru yesterday.
It’s possible Dreyer will still be released from the Bok squad later today.
It will, however, leave Bok coach Allister Coetzee with a possible selection conundrum at tighthead because Frans Malherbe is already out with a neck injury and there is doubt over Coenie Oosthuizen who started the last two Tests against Argentina.
Oosthuizen was due to undergo a scan yesterday on the rib injury he picked up in the clash against the Pumas in Salta last weekend.
Coetzee will then have to look at possible replacements like the Blue Bulls’ Lizo Gqoboko or Western Province’s Wilco Louw to strengthen his resources with Trevor Nyakane the favourite to face the Wallabies next weekend.
Meanwhile, the Lions will be without flanker James Venter for the long term after he broke his ankle against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein last weekend.
Venter was due to undergo an operation on his ankle yesterday, which is likely to put him out of the rest of the Currie Cup, with flank Hacjivah Dayimani named as his possible replacement.