By Ken Borland
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 29 – South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer on
Wednesday recalled flanker Francois Louw and named uncapped
number eight Duane Vermeulen and flyhalf Johan Goosen in his
squad for Rugby Championship matches in Australia and New
Zealand.
South Africa opened their Rugby Championship campaign
against debutants Argentina, winning 27-6 in Cape Town before
being held to a shock 16-16 draw in Mendoza last weekend.
Amidst huge criticism of the game plan the Springboks have
employed so far this year, Meyer suggested some willingness to
change when he gave first call-ups to Vermeulen and Goosen.
Vermeulen, 26, has been a star for the Stormers with his
powerhouse displays from the back of the scrum, but several
injuries have prevented him from being chosen earlier for the
Springboks.
The 20-year-old Goosen sprung to prominence in last year’s
IRB Junior world championship before making a prolific
SuperRugby debut for the Cheetahs this year, until a serious
shoulder injury ruled him out of action from the beginning of
May until last weekend.
“I regard both of them as world-class rugby players. If it
wasn’t for injuries, Duane would have been a Springbok long ago.
I also believe Johan has a long career ahead of him at test
match level and we will expose him when and how we feel it will
benefit the player and the team best,” Meyer said in a statement
released by the South African Rugby Union on Wednesday.
The lack of a specialist fetcher in the Springbok squad had
also been criticised, with Louw getting a summons from Meyer
despite the fact that he now plays his rugby in England for
Bath.
A raft of injuries in South Africa’s loose forward stocks
have also complicated matters, with veterans Schalk Burger and
Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow and new Stormers sensation Siya
Kolisi all ruled out for now, while Ryan Kankowski is currently
playing rugby in Japan.
Continued…
