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Van der Merwe answers Bok SOS

Tuesday 03rd July 2007

Bok SOS for Heinke van der Merwe

The Lions' Emerging Springbok prop Heinke van der Merwe has answered an SOS from South African coach Jake White and will join the Boks in Australia later this week.

This follows the news earlier on Tuesday that South Africa suffered a major injury setback in the build-up to their crucial Tri-Nations Test against Australia, in Sydney on Saturday, when veteran tighthead Cobus Visagie pulled up at training.

Peter Jooste, the Bok selection chief, confirmed that Van der Merwe would be departing for Australasia on Wednesday and will provide front row cover during the Tests against the Wallabies (this Saturday) and All Blacks (in Christchurch a week later).

"Cobus Visagie injured his arm in training [in Sydney on Tuesday] and I was told he could be sidelined for six to eight weeks," Jooste told this website.

Van der Merwe is a specialist loosehead prop and he could well feature for the Boks over the next two weeks, with CJ van der Linde expected to start at tighthead prop this weekend, having initially been pencilled in to start in the No.1 shirt with Visagie earmarked to anchor the scrum in the No.3 jersey.

"We've already got CJ over there, who is a tighthead prop," explained Jooste, referring to the experienced Cheetahs prop, who was called up to the team last week after Sharks loosehead prop Deon Carstens pulled out because of an injury.

"Then, we've got players like Jannie du Plessis [uncapped Cheetahs prop] and Eddie Andrews [veteran Bok and Stormers prop], who also cover tighthead. That is why we are flying Heinke over as cover at loosehead."

Van der Merwe will join the selection boss on a flight to Sydney on Wednesday and is expected to join up with his new Bok team-mates at their base early on Thursday.

The Bok team will be announced on Wednesday, but it is not certain what role Van der Merwe will play in this weekend's encounter with the Wallabies.

He was the outstanding loosehead prop in the Super 14 this year and has 20-odd Super Rugby caps - having made his debut in this competition for the Sharks against the Chiefs in 2006. He played in all the Lions' Super 14 games this year.

He was also one of the star performers for the victorious Emerging Springbok team in the recent International Rugby Board (IRB) Nations Cup tournament in Romania.

Whilst there will no doubt be joy in the Van der Merwe household, Tuesday's developments are another sad chapter in the Bok career of Saracens star Visagie.

Visagie was injured during scrummaging practice in Sydney, when he pulled up in agony with a possible dislocation of the left elbow while the forwards were working out against the scrum machine.

Springbok Media Manager Vusi Kama confirmed that there were concerns over Visagie's availability.

"He went for scans and the results won't be available till later," Kama told this website earlier in the day.

However, Jooste confirmed that Visagie had already been ruled out of the Tri-Nations campaign, without having played a single game.

Visagie, generally rated as one of the most powerful tightheads in world rugby, was recalled to the national team after Bok coach Jake White decided to rest first-choice tighthead prop BJ Botha.

Visagie, who plays his rugby for Saracens in England, was on holiday in Cape Town - during the northern hemisphere's mid-year off-season - when he got the call to join the Springboks.

He was earmarked to start in the number three jersey against the Wallabies' new scrum 'hero', Matt Dunning.

By Jan de Koning