Coetzee to take a longer look at Carr, Adriaanse
THE SPRINGBOKS’ stocks for the November tour to Europe may have received an inadvertent boost following the withdrawal of Jaco Kriel and Jannie du Plessis yesterday.
Bok coach Allister Coetzee said that loose forward Nizaam Carr and tighthead prop Lourens Adriaanse will now stay on for the three Tests against England, Italy and Wales, after initially being picked for only next Saturday’s friendly against the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium in London.
Kriel was the firm favourite to start at openside flank in the Tests due to the injury-enforced absence of Francois Louw (hamstring), but a knee ligament injury picked up on duty for his Japanese club has ruled the 27-year-old out for up to four weeks.
While Kriel brought great energy to the Bok pack (and even on the wing) whenever he came on to the field this season, there are question marks around his ability to contest for possession at the breakdowns.
The Lions star is undoubtedly a force with ball in hand and is known for getting into wide channels and breaking through tackles.
However, he has a tendency to concede penalties at the rucks, and is not a recognised fetcher as such. That may open the door for Bulls No 6 Roelof Smit, who is the only remaining specialist opensider in the Test squad.
But Coetzee would do well to take a look at Carr in such a role. The 25-yearold had his breakthrough season as a No 6 for the Stormers in 2014, and even though he prefers being at No 8 as a linking, playmaking loose forward, he has shown that he is prepared to get stuck in and put his head into “dark spaces” at the breakdown.
Those performances earned him his maiden call-up to Heyneke Meyer’s Bok squad in November 2014, and he earned two Test caps against Italy and Wales.
Adriaanse did feature in the Rugby Championship this year, which is why he was a surprise omission from the Test group for the November tour, with Du Plessis being brought in from the cold due to the injuries to Frans Malherbe, Julian Redelinghuys and Coenie Oosthuizen.
But now Du Plessis has withdrawn due to the imminent birth of his third child early next month. “Jannie and I had a good conversation on Wednesday evening and he still has a burning desire to be part of the Springboks. However, due to his current personal circumstances, he unfortunately had to withdraw from the squad,” Coetzee said.
“Jannie has a wealth of experience, he still has a lot to offer and he stays part of our plans. I want to wish him and his wife well as they are looking forward to welcome a third addition to their family.”