Springbok No 8s are going down like flies but Erasmus is relying on Wiese

THE silver lining to the cloud of injuries surrounding the Springbok number eight position is the sooner-than-expected recovery of the incumbent in the position, Jasper Wiese.

- MIKE GREENAWAY

On Thursday, coach Rassie Erasmus told the media that in addition to the season-long loss of Bulls men Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom, newcomer Juarno Augustus is sidelined with a back injury for the next month or so.

That resulted in the call for a reinforcement in the form of Evan Roos, who Erasmus was at pains to point out was initially not picked because other players were in better form than him. It was nothing personal.

The stoutly-built Wiese has rattled up 34 caps at number eight, with the majority of them coming after the 2023 World Cup.

That was when Erasmus saw Weise as the successor to the retired Duane Vermeulen.

Earlier this year, Wiese returned from Japan to have surgery on a neck injury and it was feared he would miss much of the international season, but the 29-year-old’s recovery is substantially ahead of schedule.

Erasmus said that Wiese could well be available for selection for the friendly against the Barbarians in Cape Town on 28 June. If that is the case, he will definitely get game time as he hasn't played since early April.