/ 15 July 1999

KRIGE TO MISS WORLD CUP

SPRINGBOK South African flanker Corne Krige is sure to miss the World Cup after suffering a knee injury early in the first half of Saturday’s test defeat by the All Blacks in Dunedin. The Springboks were beaten 28-0. Krige, 24, had to come off after just 10 minutes and will fly back home on Monday with what Mallett called a “devastating injury”. “He’ll probably be out for a year. He tore his lateral and possibly both cruciate ligaments. He was lucky not to damage the nerve,” Mallett said. The news was an additional worry for Mallett whose 1999 squad has already been badly hit by injuries and in recent weeks has struggled to cope with the intensely competitive international season building up to the World Cup. Krige made a big impression on his Test debut a month ago when he came on as captain in the second Test against Italy when the Springboks romped home 101-0.