Springbok captain John Smit has officially been ruled out of the End of Year Grand Slam Tour as he is recovering from an operation.
SA Rugby confirmed in a media statement that Smit had undergone an operation to repair a cervical disc and will be sidelined for a minimum of 3 months.
This will rule the embattled captain out of contention from the end of the year tour to the UK where they will play all 4 home unions.
Smit has come under a lot of criticism in recent months where his form and conditioning have been continually questioned.
He is still very much in the plans of the Springboks for 2011 however and should be fit to run out for the Sharks in 2011 as the Super 15 kicks off.
According to SA Rugby the injury was not career threatening and that the procedure was more to prevent the disc getting progressively worse.
This will now leave Peter de Villiers with a decision as to who will captain the Springboks on the tour to Europe as Victor Matfield has also been earmarked to stay at home to rest. It will be interesting to see if De Villiers will hand the captaincy over to a senior player or perhaps a youngster who might take over following the Rugby World Cup in 2011 where most senior players will retire.
Senior players that might be considered given their experience as captains for their respective unions in the past include Juan Smith, Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers. De Villiers might however consider investing in the future and look towards players like Dewald Potgieter who captained the Emerging Boks in 2009 against the Lions.
John’s unavailability of course also opens the door for more regular game time for Chiliboy Ralepelle, a player long earmarked to take over the captaincy even under the days of Jake White where he did captain a Springbok XV once in an unofficial test match.
How De Villiers will juggle the selections between Chiliboy and Bismarck du Plessis who was John’s understudy since the 2007 Rugby World Cup and number 1 choice hooker in 2009 remains to be seen.
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September 22nd, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Just yesterday he was twittering about flying around the country in a plane fuelled by synthetic fuel.
I would imaging that his op was a planned thing and therefore PDV knew about it beforehand.
September 22nd, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Reply to Ollie @ 3:52 pm:
Or the plane seats screwed up his back.
A blessing in disguise maybe?
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Bets are on when Matfield will also get some surgery?
He also needs a serious rest if he is to play any role in the WC next year
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Yup
Maybe “tweak a hamstring” before the EOYT? Out till middle of the S15?
maybe JF and Bryan H can benefit from being “injury prone” too?
Didn’t an SA cricketer once break his toe when he dropped aftershave on it in the hotel bathroom?
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 pm
This also places his standard of play into perpective…
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 4:33 pm:
When JF was at the Lions he played just enough games to make the 3N squad
Juan Smith also looks like a player that knows how to manage himself.
September 22nd, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Reply to JT @ 4:34 pm:
FDP as well
If there is a will there is a way
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:05 pm
He is still very much in the plans of the Springboks for 2011
====
As the manager, I hope.
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 4:33 pm:
Dunno about that one, but Boucher cut his finger when eating biltong.
Rumour is he went back to buying the already cut stuff.
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Reply to JT @ 4:34 pm:
Juan will be my first choice.
Expect Spies to pull out again with some mysterious injury again.
They’re quite strict on doping in the UK.
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Reply to JT @ 4:34 pm:
Open secret
Jirre Boertjie
Do you have any perspective aside from WP is beste or is that your default setting?
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:47 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 8:41 pm:
My WP vooroordeel is in die gemoed van die leser.
Ek het respek vir baie spelers van alle provinsies, maar nie soveel vir mense wat oor die muur is nie. En dan het ek so bietjie “inside info” oor die ander man.
Spelers hoes nie sommer net bloed nie. En liggaamsbouers het baie spiere en min ware krag.
Smit sal die ideale bestuurder wees vir WB 2011.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:18 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 8:47 pm:
“Spelers hoes nie sommer net bloed nie. En liggaamsbouers het baie spiere en min ware krag.”
Oom Boer – klim tog af van die Spies Hobby Horse. Dit raak nou eentonig.
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 8:47 pm:
“sauces”
Sal my nie verbaas as dit iets uit die Kaap uit is nie…
Miskien het jyulle soveel van julle bekende groen twak gerook en rooi water gedrink dat julle vergeet het dat dit die speler was wat wou gaan en die span bestuur wat geweier het…
En mens moet dan seker ook vra hoe ontsnap die speler al van 2006 af drug toetse in noordelike toere, 3N en S14… of hoe al die medici van die Kaapse sports wetenskap instituut tot Pretoria en Johannesburgse spesialiste met ‘n ander diagnose opgekom het… moerse conspiracy theory hoor… jy glo seker ook die Mossad het 9/11 uitgevoer en die CIA het JFK vermoor…
So jou “sauces” klink my na ‘n pot kak hoor…
En Os was 36 in 2007, Phil Vickery 33 in 2003, en Martin Johnson 32 in 2003 en John Eales ook in 1999… so daardie ouderdom storie is ook na maar op die koop toe ‘n klomp kak soos geskiedenis dit maar in onderstreepte bold bewys het…
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 9:19 pm:
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 8:47 pm:
dan in elk geval moet daar fokken baie lesers wees wat dom is want almal sien jou een ogigheid
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Jy weet in 1991 het ek ‘n seldsame siekte genaamd ITP gehad… dis ‘n tekort aan bloed plaatjies en weet jy wat… ek het ook bloed gekots en gekak op ‘n stadium en fok weet ek het nie aan steroids gevat nie…
Steroids doen ander goed aan jou soos om jou tros en ballas te laat krimp…
En dit maak jou buierig … jy weet… “roid rage” miskien het jy al daarvan gehoor, maar mens weet nooit nie… miskien in die Kaap het julle te veel estroegeen in julle water om te weet van sulke goed…
En fok weet Spies is uitstekend om sy slapheid vir vier fokken jaar in internasionale rugby weg te steek…
September 22nd, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Met uitsluiting van die een man in die huis… is die res van die familie se estrogeen draers almal siek met verkoue… en om alles te kroon kom die skoonfamile van Natal af more hier bly vir ‘n week…
Oh joy
So verskoon maar as ek fokken ongelukkig mag voorkom…
Dis fokken moeilik om vir vier siek females te sorg… en dan nog die huis vir die familie mooi skoon te maak… en om alles te kroon het die Iepiekonders ousie nou ook ewe skielik uit die bloute ‘n blaas infeksie nes my vyf jarige….
Kan imeand my vuurwapen asb net vir so week of so versteek todat my lewe weer gebalanseer is?
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Reply to DavidS @ 9:19 pm:
Reply to Minora @ 9:18 pm:
Verskoon my, ek gaan nou in die hoek sit en huil.
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:05 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:17 pm:
Thought experiment.
If Spies’s problem in 2007 was due to steroid use then a lot of people must know about it. Bok and Bulls coaches and management, team mates, team doctors and the outside specialists.
Nobody is talking publicly.
One possible reason is that steroid use is so widespread that everybody stand to loose. A conspiracy of silence because guilt is everywhere.
Or there was no evidence in ’07.
Either way, spreading rumors like that without evidence to back it up is a bit despicable.
September 23rd, 2010 at 3:24 am
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:17 pm:
Found me a good news paper report on the Japies e-mail yet?
Anything in the archives?
Something from around the time it allegedly happened.
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:05 am
Watch Bismark start all the ‘real’ tests and the uber-quota back to the bench!
September 23rd, 2010 at 10:39 am
Reply to Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes @ 3:05 am:
One possible reason is that steroid use is so widespread that everybody stand to loose. A conspiracy of silence because guilt is everywhere.
======
This is more than likely the case. Masking agents are getting better and they are always one step ahead.
Can’t find it now, but I once came across a story stating up to 30% of the SA junior players are on some kind of drug – not ceratine.(Not sure how they define drugs.)
And that many coaches serve as masking agents too.
Where the money stakes are high health comes second.
Found me a good newspaper report on the Japies e-mail yet?
—–
Nope.
September 23rd, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 10:39 am:
Rugby is very bad for your health. Short and long term. That should be patently obvious. Yet millions choose to play it without any money being at stake.
For whom the money stakes are high, the additional health risks from improvement pills must be a minor consideration.
September 23rd, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Reply to Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes @ 1:28 pm:
Like lots of people still smoke, and it only COSTS them money.
Myself included.
Talk about a losing battle: fighting or controlling drugs in sport. Same as the fight against drug peddlars.
They have now arrested a syndicate of whites (including a vet) for rhino poaching worth many millions. Some 200 rhinos paid with their horns. Used a chopper, very organised.
Scum of the earth, I hope they get very long sentences.
September 23rd, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Latest, John apparently committed to the Sharks for 2011
September 23rd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:35 pm:
Veterinarians to top it off.
September 23rd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Reply to Morné @ 1:48 pm:
As a player?
September 23rd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Reply to Boertjie @ 1:35 pm:
At least they are setting bale correctly…
In 2005 I was in Hluhluwe (sic) and got a great pic of 3 young Rhino males backing up together tail to tail… 6 weeks laters one had fallen victim to I presume this same mob…
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Nasty pieces of shit… hope they riot in hell
Funnnily pre 1994 SA had a superb reputation for being able to take care of our endangered indigenous animals… now with the onset of the black slackministration the ones taking advantage are white trash…
Hope their buttocks get raped raw…