CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Captain Jean de Villiers has withdrawn from South Africa’s training camp after a knee problem forced him out of Saturday’s Super Rugby match between the Stormers and Cheetahs, the South African Rugby Union said.
De Villiers will undergo a scan in Cape Town on Sunday to determine the full extent of the injury.
“Jean plays a very important role in our team and we decided he should get proper treatment as soon as possible, which will hopefully ensure he returns to the squad sooner rather than later,” Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer said in a statement.
“At this stage, we’re not sure how long Jean will be out but we will ensure he gets the best medical treatment so that he can play as soon as possible.”
He has been replaced at the three-day training camp in Durban by uncapped Sharks lock Stephan Lewies.
“We’ve got good depth in the midfield but due to injury concerns at lock, we’ve decided to invite Stephan to our camp,” Meyer explained.
Thirty six players will participate in the training camp beginning on Sunday as Meyer fine-tunes plans for tests next month against Scotland and Wales and the Rugby Championship against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand in August, September and October.
