/ 18 June 2007

Bismarck to join Bok squad

Uncapped Bismarck du Plessis will join the South African squad as cover for injured captain John Smit ahead of the Tri-Nations match against New Zealand in Durban on Saturday.

Hooker Du Plessis becomes the 31st member of a squad that was hit by injuries in the Springboks’ 22-19 win over Australia in the opening match of the tournament in Cape Town on the weekend.

Smit left the field in the first half with a hamstring injury, while loosehead Gurthro Steenkamp bruised a knee and flanker Juan Smith suffered a bruised thigh.

”He [Smit] will be assessed during the week and the medical team will make the call,” team manager Zola Yeye told a media conference in Durban on Monday.

”We’ve called up Bismarck du Plessis as cover for him.”

Yeye said none of the injured players had yet been ruled out of the match against the All Blacks, seen as an important indicator of the relative strengths of two of the most fancied teams to win the World Cup in France in September/October.

Candidates to stand in as captain should Smit not play are lock Victor Matfield, who took over for the rest of Saturday’s match, and former skipper Bob Skinstad, who returned to international rugby this year after an absence of four years. — Reuters