It has been confirmed that flyhalf Handre Pollard (calf injury) and Lukhanyo Am (knee) have been placed on standby with six other Springboks.
The Springbok coaches stated that they were hopeful that they may return to full training before the start of the tournament and be available for call-up, but how would this work?
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The first and most important point to note is that the players on ‘standby’ can only come into the World Cup squad if there is a legitimate injury to one of the 33 original players.
However, it doesn’t have to be a like for like replacement. So, in theory, if a prop was injured, the Springboks could still gamble on calling up Pollard – for example – if they felt he was fit and ready.
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The only other way the likes of Pollard or Am could be called up is if there were a case of a player being sent home due to breaching team protocols or if they had to leave the World Cup for personal reasons, as examples.
Ultimately, though, it has to be noted that the Springboks cannot just call up a player without due cause.
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On Tuesday, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber explained why Am and Pollard were not risked in the World Cup squad despite possibly being fit in time for the knockout stage.
“Handre’s rehab went well, but he now needs to go through a test match week and the demands of a test match week. He needs to be able to produce on a Saturday and then he has to back it up the next week and the next week without putting him in too early. Even if he makes it through the first and second weeks, and then he breaks up in the third week.
“He will be able to start training with us, whereas with Lukhanyo, we think it is a two-to-four-week injury. But it is still very acute. And we will probably get a better gauge at the end of this week how he is doing,” Nienaber said.
“We believe they both will have the potential to be fit and ready to go by the Scotland game, maybe the week after that… There are two new injuries in Lood (de Jager) and Lukhanyo, who was injured over the weekend and Lood during the week.
“Handre is different to them in the sense that he is almost in his return to play and getting back to full fitness. He hasn’t had a training session with us yet, and the difference between Siya, and Ox and Handre is that Siya and Ox have done training with us and have done the volume and intensity that they must handle in a test week.
“Unfortunately Handre hasn’t had training with us yet. He will probably start training with us this week. But Handre can only come into the World Cup squad if there is an injury or a player does something to deselect himself.”
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Who is on standby for the Springboks?
Nienaber also announced that nine players would be placed on standby – five of whom will travel with the team to Cardiff and London for their last two World Cup warm-up matches against Wales (19 August) and New Zealand (25 August).
The nine players are Am (centre), Joseph Dweba (hooker), De Jager (lock), Jean-Luc du Preez (utility forward), Thomas du Toit (prop), Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalf), Pollard (flyhalf), Evan Roos (No 8) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop). The five travelling to the UK on Saturday are Dweba, Du Toit, Du Preez, Pollard and Am.
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The Bok squad has an interesting look to it
The Springbok squad for RWC 2023.
