The Springboks may face another setback ahead of their upcoming tour to Europe, as tighthead prop Frans Malherbe sustained an injury while playing for the Stormers. Malherbe left the field with an injured ankle during the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with Glasgow Warriors on Saturday. According to a report on the Rugby365 website, the 33-year-old was not part of the Springboks squad which departed for a training camp in Jersey on Sunday.
This injury comes after Malherbe last played in the Boks’ final Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in Mbombela last month. Fellow World Cup winner Damian Willemse (utility back) and Ben-Jason Dixon (blindside flank) were also injured during the Stormers’ 28-17 defeat against Glasgow Warriors. Willemse sustained a groin injury while scoring the Stormers’ first try and has been ruled out of the Boks’ tour, with Bulls number eight Cameron Hanekom coming into the squad as his replacement.
Meanwhile, Dixon suffered a knee injury, and the severity of it is yet to be determined. Stormers director of rugby John Dobson gave an update on the injury situation in their camp shortly after the Glasgow match, stating that “they’re going for scans. Damian’s got a groin injury and Franna (Malherbe) rolled his ankle. I think of the two I’d be more worried about Damian, but they’re both going for scans. It wasn’t a good day for us at all; luckily I don’t think it’s anything serious – I think they’re a week or two (off) cases.”
If Malherbe fails to join the Boks squad, he will be the third player to withdraw from their European tour, after Willemse and Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Due to Wessels’ versatility, he was replaced by Bulls teammates Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Wilco Louw (prop). If Malherbe withdraws, Louw and Vincent Koch will be the two specialist tightheads in head coach Rassie Erasmus’ squad. The Boks will finalise their preparations for their Tests against Scotland, England, and Wales in November.
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