Success of Springboks may extend absence of Wasps ace

WASPS could be without Willie le Roux for three more weeks after the full-back helped keep South Africa in the Rugby Championship hunt.

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus called up the 29-year-old for the first time since November 2016 to feature in the three-Test summer series with England, that the hosts won 2-1.

Le Roux’s services were retained for the sixmatch Rugby Championship which South Africa now have a slim chance of winning after securing a rare victory over New Zealand.

The Wasps ace, who topped the Premiership assist chart with 21 in 2017/18, scored a try and created another in Wellington on Saturday before receiving a late yellow card in a 36-34 victory to trail the All Blacks by six points with two games remaining. South Africa need Argentina to recreate their heroics in defeating Australia to deny the All Blacks maximum points a week on Saturday, as well as defeating the Wallabies themselves on Saturday, September 29 to open a possible ‘winner takes all’ clash with New Zealand on Saturday, October 6. Speaking after Wasps’ victory over Leicester Tigers, Dai Young said discussions would be held with le Roux, ahead of the trip to Sale Sharks on Saturday. “We probably are going to speak and see where he is,” said Young. “Thankfully he walked off the pitch. “Obviously we’re going to speak to the South African management to see what the situation is.”

Obviously we’re going to speak to the South African management to see what the situation is.

It was reported back in August that le Roux would play in three Rugby Championship games and one Test in November following an agreement struck with South Africa and Wasps.

However, le Roux has started all four test matches so far from the start in back-to-back matches with Argentina followed by the away matches against Australia and New Zealand and, if he competes in the two remaining rounds, will go on to earn his 50th international cap.

Wasps’ schedule sees them travel to Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons before returning to the Ricoh Arena on October 6 for the visit of Danny Cipriani’s Gloucester.

PICTURE: SCOTT WIGGINS Jacob Doty picking up the instigator penalty following a hit by Blaze captain Kevin Morris (53.52).Tim Billingsley hit the first of six third-period goals to give the visitors a 1-2 lead (44.29). Luke Ferrara tied the game at two (47.27) before Hurtubise bagged his second goal for 2-3 (50.39).On 56.48 the game looked over as Alex Guptill make it 2-4 for the Panthers.A dogged Blaze team had different ideas though, Crowder (57.45) scoring his second before Kelin Ainsworth sent the Skydome Arena into raptures tying the game 4-4 on 58.09.A free-flowing overtime period saw no scoring, sending the game to a penalty shoot-out.Despite Blaze taking an early advantage, it was the Panthers who skated out successfully out-scoring Coventry 2-3 over the five shots.Head coach Danny Stewart said: “It was a good fightback. I thought we played well overall.”