World Cup winner BJ Botha has become the second Ireland-based prop to be recalled to the Springbok team, as injuries continue to cut a swathe through the winless South African touring team in Europe.
Jan de Koning – Rugby365
Botha, capped 17 times for his country before he joined up with Irish province Ulster at the start of the 2008/09 season, will join the Bok squad as they prepare for the second Test of their tour – against Italy in Udine on Saturday.
Anthony Mackaiser, the Boks’ media liaison officer, confirmed to rugby365.com that Botha had been called up to the squad.
Botha is reportedly on holiday in South Africa at present and will fly out to join his teammates in Italy on Wednesday night.
He replaces the injured the other Ireland-based Bok tighthead prop, CJ van der Linde, who damaged his hamstring in the 23-24 loss to Saracens in London on Tuesday. Van der Linde – who plays for Heineken Cup winners, Leinster – lasted just 10 minutes before hobbling off.
Van der Linde, who has 57 Test caps, was called up to the Bok squad after the opening match of the tour – a 17-22 loss to Leicester Tigers at Welford Road.
This game started the Boks’ injury scourge when the entire Dirt Trackers front row – Gurthrö Steenkamp, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Jannie du Plessis – were all forced to return home because of injuries.
Botha – who has established himself as an integral part the Ulster front row – is a specialist tighthead prop, with Van der Linde able to play on both sides of the scrum.
However, Botha is highly rated by his peers as a technically sound and powerful scrummager, who before leaving South Africa, was one cap shy of a half-century in the domestic Currie Cup.
He made his first professional appearance with the Sharks in 2001 and represented South Africa at Under-21 level that same season.
His Test debut came as a replacement against New Zealand in 2006, ending his debut season with a tour of England and Ireland in November. The last of his 17 caps came against Wales in Pretoria in June last year – just before his departure to Ireland.
Prop is not the Boks’ only injury concern ahead of Saturday’s encounter against the Azzurri, as South Africa try to avoid a fourth consecutive loss for the first time since 2006.
Should they lose to Italy on Saturday, and Six Nations champions Ireland the next week, it would be the first time in more than 50 years that the Boks have failed to win any of their games on a northern hemisphere tour.
Earlier on Wednesday, new Springbok midweek captain Dewald Potgieter, Sharks loose forward Jean Deysel, uncapped scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and capped wing Jongi Nokwe were all named in the 26-man squad that headed to Udine to prepare for the Test against Italy on Saturday.
With injury concerns over several forwards – Van der Linde, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, lock Andries Bekker and flank Schalk Burger – additional cover was required.
“Andries, Bismarck and Schalk are still being monitored and there will be more clarity on their fitness at the team announcement,” Mackaiser told this website.
Bok coach Peter de Villiers will name his Test XV on Thursday.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
So are we going to see JDV and Frans Steyn against Ireland to salvage some pride on this tour?
Management are losing the plot by not investing in our younger guys.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Hey Morné,
my score forecast surely puts me
ahead of boertjie now?
November 18th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Duiwel says:
November 17th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Blesbokke 16
Saracens 22.
When Saracens win this
i’m going to buy and wear a Saracens shirt.
Not to replace the Sharks one
but a sort of hobby shirt.
Do the down hill with Shark-top.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Toppie,
i must be close to poll position,no?
November 18th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Ghostsite?
November 18th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
G
November 18th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
H
November 18th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
O
November 18th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
S
November 18th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
T
November 18th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
S.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I
November 18th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
T.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
E
November 18th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
yeeha!
November 18th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
S
H
R
K
S.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
B
L
L
November 18th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
V
R
Y
S
T
T
W
P
November 18th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Etenstyd vir die meeste
mense. Kinders bad. Vure
aansteek.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Hehe,
Duiwel you missed the score prediction for the first game (Frenchies) so yes you did do pretty well in Round 2, but you got the average score for round 1 which was 18.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Here is the leaderboard, Toppie still leads even though you did better in the last game than him.
Predictions for Round 2 totals are in brackets.
Boertjie 15 (11)
Asteroth 17 (6)
Cosa 18 (6)
Morne 20 (10)
Fyndraai 20 (8)
Ollie 21 (9)
Minora 23 (5)
Namboer 24 (6)
Willem 25 (7)
Bunny 27 (12)
Duiwel 27 (9)
Welshbok 29 (11)
Guzzi 37 (17)
Cab 78 (31)
Shields 79 (36)
November 18th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Morné,
thats harsh.
I think you should consider that i’ve been
previously opressed
and
give me an average for the first two
plus the sarries one
then i’m back in the comp.
Call it transformation.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Okay need to make food now, be back later.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Boks going to get moerred against
nicks wogs
and ireland will be a record score.
History in the making
write your story with the greats ou Poepolpiet.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Jawat laters?
November 18th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Reply to Duiwel @ 7:34 pm:
Hehe, do I look like Julius to you!!!???
If you get the scores right you will catch up quickly
November 18th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Hoekom lek ‘n hond sy ballas?
November 18th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I have just finish Joost book Man in the Mirror, quite nice book to read, apart from the last chapter on the sex video thing
Quite liked the other look on Kamp Staaldraad, and the way he explained the Coaches strong and weak points.
Actually feeling sorry for the dude, as he is a boer come from a poor part of PTA and worked hard to become what he achieve on the rugby field and not on video’s in back rooms.
Hope things work out for him in his life even if he is a stall Blue Bull.
Good luck Joost
November 18th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
There are way too many good books in this world to waste any time on the autobiographies of rugby players.
As a rule I avoid books written by ghost writers, if a guy is too illiterate to write it himself, he should just stick to rugby.
November 18th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
His story or not,
i wish him well
Bull or no
he have played moments
jisses boet,
nailed to the tellie.
Mooistap Joost
annerdag
November 18th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
However Fyndraai,
that was indeed aptly put.
November 18th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Welshbok,
because he can.
Ben licks his nuts
every time i tell him to lie down.
Its a dog thing.
The ultimate i can and
you’ll never.
Have it.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Why does a woman rub her
eyes when she wakes up?
Suppose everybody knows
this one.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Reply to fyndraai @ 9:21 pm: I must disagree I have almost read every rugby book there is and I enjoy the perspective it put forward to the reader and the insight true or false that we normally will not get through the one eye media in this country(Not All of course)
My best one’s was;
Francois Pienaar, Kitch and gary Tieghmann.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hello Peesters,
Yes I am stone last on the scores because I always back the Boks to win by loads and then we lose.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Ja fyndraai its a bit unfair to expect a pro athlete to be a good enough writer as well.
Rennaissanse man?
November 19th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Reply to newbokshields @ 11:22 pm: They should at least take time to reflect on things and then try to write it all in their own words. The publishers have editors to clean up the language.
Instead they take a few short breaks between coaching, playing, or banging a prostitute, for interviews with their ghost writers, and viola, we have a book!
To them its just a cash machine and the buyer is the fool parted with his money.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Britney Spears “wrote” her autobiography at 18!
November 19th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Reply to Duiwel @ 7:29 pm:
November 19th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Botha69 is technicaLLy maybe the best 3 we have.
Kirsten WP Nel and Buys are the future however
Heinke might be able to covert- but its not just changing the numbah on the jumpah!
November 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:03 pm:
Hallo Boer.
Vertel my asb, ek weet nie!
November 19th, 2009 at 11:39 am
BJ… CJ… too little too late IMO…
The Earl Rose et al ‘quota’ kuk has destroyed the ‘already tired’ Bok psyche… finished and klaar… (and I’m no Noakes or Brand Coetzee)…
November 19th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Reply to WiLLem @ 9:38 am:
yes i think so too, and hopefully BJ has even improved on the softer NH fields, i believe he is 29, so he theoretically could go on until 2011 also.
interesting to hear your views on Kirsten, will watch.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Reply to cab @ 12:12 pm:
Werner Kruger sEEms the buZZinblue Kirsten I believe can become their solution @ 3.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Reply to Cosa @ 10:30 am:
Oorlat hulle nie knaters het wat
hulle kan krap nie.