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Johannesburg - Springbok flyhalf Butch James faces a worrying wait to find out if he will be declared fit for Saturday’s return Vodacom Tri-Nations fixture against Australia.
James and two other Boks Jannie du Plessis and Flip van der Merwe missed practice on Monday morning at Shimla Park, but while coach Peter de Villiers wouldn’t say what the injuries were, he was only concerned with James’ progress it seemed.
Van der Merwe appears to have a neck strain, but was confident on Monday on the sidelines that it was not too serious.
Team doctor Craig Roberts missed his normal team medical update to attend to the players.
“There are three players with the doc getting scans done. Jannie and Flip are there and the one who is probably more worried than anyone else is Butch,” De Villiers said at the press conference.
Asked for clarity on the nature of the injuries, De Villiers said “Doc will put out that report.”
The Boks were also joined by three players from their original squad, with Gio Aplon, Wynand Olivier and Dewald Potgieter joining the practice session. But they could be heading back to their provinces soon if the injury situation improves.
“They’re here because they’re part of the squad from the beginning. We can always send them back if we don’t want to use them. I want them to feel part of the culture of the team, it isn’t a new thing,” De Villiers said.
More clarity on the scans is expected later on in the day.
