SPRINGBOK fitness coach Kevin Stevenson said on Monday that there was no question of sending home fly-half Henry Honiball, who has not yet played in the World Cup after picking up a hamstring injury in training.
Stevenson said that even if 33-year-old Honiball wasn’t fit for Sunday’s quarter-final with either England or Fiji he would be ready in time for the semi-finals – provided, of course, the Springboks prevail at the Stade de France.
“We will reassess Henry’s hamstring problem on Tuesday but we’re fairly confident that he will make it for Sunday,” Stevenson said.
“He’s a pretty fit guy and even if he doesn’t play on Sunday he’ll be there for the semi-final. “There’s absolutely no question of sending him home now and calling up a replacement.”
Lock Mark Andrews, the most capped Springbok of all time with 57 international appearances, said that Honiball, who has played 33 tests, scoring 145 points, knew the players wanted him in the team. “Henry is very confident of his own ability but it is more a question of how confident he would be about playing so soon after the injury healing,” Andrews said.
“Matches with England are always very tight and physical affairs so it would be a really tough game to come straight into.” Should Honiball, who is set to join English side Bristol after the World Cup, be passed fit he would almost certainly be preferred to Jannie de Beer.