‘Like a car that stands in the garage’: Rassie explains Bok injuries and longevity
· Citizen
An injured rugby player who spends months – or even years – on the sidelines may ultimately prolong his career, says Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus.
On the other hand, players who feature week in and week out are often match-sharp when the time comes, but the accumulated wear and tear on their bodies also increases their risk of injury.
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Erasmus addressed the impact of an 11-month season on South African players after naming his team to face Scotland on Monday, noting the heavy workload carried by those based in Europe and South Africa, while those playing in Japan were fresher at the start of the international season.
Springboks deal with the load
Dozens of Springboks were caught in a race to get fit in time for the season, with flyhalf Sacha-Feinberg Mngomezulu, RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith among those still expected to be out for many months.
Meanwhile, Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nché and André Esterhuizen all picked up injuries either in the week leading up to the first Nations Championship Test against England last weekend, or during South Africa’s 45-21 victory.
All four play for the Sharks, whose season ended in May after failing to reach the United Rugby Championship (URC) play-offs.
Thirty-four-year-old Etzebeth, dealing with a concussion after a head knock previously kept him out of action for months, may only return to action in August.
Meanwhile, the Bulls reached the URC final mostly injury-free and have 10 players set to play against Scotland at Loftus this weekend, despite their players barely receiving a break.
“Someone did a study for us on guys who, let’s say, played for six years and were injured for four. I asked him if it’s like a car that stands in a garage – it’s a 1976 model but for five years it’s been in the garage – how much of an impact does that have on prolonging his career,” Erasmus said.
“There are guys like RG Snyman, Lood de Jager who are [in their 30s] but they’ve missed five or six years of rugby. How much is the body actually rested through those years?
“The results were interesting. It varies from position to position: backline, flanker, prop.”
Boks can’t complain – Erasmus
Erasmus said there was indeed a strain on players who competed regularly. But it operated on a cycle.
“We are fairly fresh because we have lots of Japanese guys and guys who fell out of URC and didn’t reach the play-offs.
“We can moan now and say we are not ready because we have not played together much. But at the end of the year we will have played right through the Greatest Rivalry and [Nations Championship].
“Then we are really in sync for the end-of-year-tour and they are only beginning because they have a break after these three Tests.”
