It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but Toyota Cheetahs boss Hawies Fourie poured cold water on hopes that veteran Springbok Frans Steyn would get a chance to play in another World Cup this year.
While there has already been speculation that Steyn won’t be fit in time for the World Cup, Fourie confirmed this, saying Steyn will still be out for “months”.
“Frans injured his knee early in the season and had to have surgery on it. He is still in the rehab process, so he is out for another few months,” he explained..
“I can’t see it happening. But miracles might happen. He himself isn’t confident that he will be able to play any time soon. He can’t even jog at the moment, so it is a long way to get back on the field and play at the standard that is good enough to go to the World Cup.”
Steyn would have been a key member of the team and having already won two World Cups, would have relished the chance to win a third but that likelihood looks further and further away right now.
The veteran Bok, who won his first World Cup at 19, has played for the Springboks at flyhalf as well, and was seen as a possible option given the current flyhalf crisis that the Boks find themselves in, but not anymore.
Damian Willemse is set to be declared fit before the first Castle Lager Rugby Championship test on July 8 and looks set to share the kicking duties with his DHL Stormers’ teammate Manie Libbok while Handre Pollard recovers. Elton Jantjies is the fourth flyhalf in the squad.