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Nienaber provides Koch injury update after late withdrawal
By Josh Raisey
In a week where South Africa have already lost hooker Malcolm Marx to a World Cup ending injury, they are now left to sweat over the fitness of yet another front-rower after tighthead Vincent Koch pulled out of the match against Romania at the eleventh hour on Sunday in Bordeaux.
Koch was replaced by Trevor Nyakane, who started in the No18 jersey that he was initially scheduled to wear, while Frans Malherbe was drafted in to take his place on the bench. The world champions cruised to a 76-0 win despite this early setback.
Head coach Jacques Nienaber provided an update on the injury after the match, but even he was unable to give concrete information with regards to the injury.
"Vincent hobbled in the warm-up," he said. "I think its his knee. I don't have an idea how bad it is, but the doctor will go through it and we'll have a better understanding maybe tonight."
After Handre Pollard was called into the Springboks squad to replace Marx, Nienaber's side are now threadbare in the No2 department with flankers Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden serving as his understudies. A long term injury to Koch may open the door for some more positional gymnastics in the squad, with a hooker being called up in his stead, presumably Joseph Dweba.
The Springboks will want clarity on the injury as soon as possible given the week that lies ahead for them, as an encounter with world number ones Ireland waits for them in Paris on Saturday.
Looking ahead to that match, Nienaber said: "It will be a good game to see who finishes one and two in the pool, but there's still games to play, so I don't want to get too far ahead. If it's Italy, if it's France, New Zealand, it's going to be a tough quarter-final, it doesn't matter who we play.
"From a selection point of view, we're open and honest with the players, they know what we're thinking and we'll share that with them even tonight. We have an idea in our minds what we want to do for the next game. It's nice that there's such good internal competition within this group and positive competition. There's not a big gap between the players."
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Latest Comments
Only stole from a bank, hardly a crime.
Go to commentsBen Smith. My Man! So glad this is only "opinion piece". I was Reading the headline and straight away assumed you meant a 2 horse race between Pieter and Cheslin. There was no way you you meant Caelan.
Cheslin is not only the most exciting winger of this generation, but also a multi disciplined performer, Defence, Lineouts, Conversions and scrumming. LOL. He can do it all. He can put players twice his size on there rear ends and side step at full pace around on coming traffic on a penny.
I will also note that there has been since 2009 till 2017 only NZ winners bar the great one Thierry Dusautoir for France in 2011. And this was because they were the best team in the world winning back to back world cups, also having the best players at that time nominated. Never before has there been more than 2 players from the same country nominated for the award, but this year there was 3 from SA. All Dbl World Cup winning Players.
No one has been so put out about who was nominated in earlier awards, but for some reason you are.
I am thankful that its not up to you to decide on the "token" choices. (Rather lets not use that language again). The world chose the players and lets leave it there.
I don't Blame Rugby Pass for allowing this to print, but there should have been some profound editing on this.
Thanks for your opinion, But maybe lets keep it that just yours not anyone else's.
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