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Sale Sharks blocks Lood de Jager in action during the Premiership Rugby match against London Irish in Salford on March 6, 2020.
Alex Livesey / Getty Images
- Springboks line-out actions have taken a severe hit with the news that it seems unlikely that Lood de Jager will appear against the British & Irish Lions.
- The towering second rower broke his leg in a freak training-ground accident this week at his English club, Sale Sharks.
- SA relies on its foreign-based locks as not many local candidates have raised their hands.
Jacques Nienaber, Springbok’s coach, may have to pitch his net for wider locks before this year’s series against the British & Irish Lions.
Lood de Jager, one of the second most prominent rowers on the national team, is seen as a serious question for the tour after sustaining a new injury.
The 28-year-old recently returned to play after reconstructive surgery on a long-lasting shoulder injury and had been building momentum with his English club, Sale Sharks, before a freak accident in training this week saw him fracture. Leg.
According to Rapport, De Jager jumped on a ball and broke one of his femurs, meaning he will be out of the game for a minimum of three months.
That represents an extremely tight time frame for him to be in contention for the three-round matchup against the Lions.
To add insult to injury, De Jager is also reported to have injured his meniscus, putting even more pressure on his recovery.
The Springboks are already concerned that RG Snyman, considered a key player to become a key player after the 2019 World Cup victory, may not have recovered in time for the series.
He has not played for Irish giants Munster since sustaining a serious knee injury on his debut in August last year.
In fact, South Africa will rely heavily on its overseas lock contingent, with Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert trading in France and Japan respectively.
With the exception perhaps of the Stormers’ Salmaan Moerat and the Bulls duo of Ruan Nortje and Jason Jenkins, not many local second rowers have raised their hands prominently for international consideration.
