Boks get Delport on loan

By Dale Granger and Patrick Compton

The Springboks will this week get more reinforcement from Europe. It comes in the shape of Thinus Delport who plays for Gloucester in English rugby's Premier League.

Delport, who will arrive in South Africa this week, played in Saturday's English cup final where Gloucester were beaten 39-3 by Wasps. Gloucester have agreed to lend the player to SA Rugby until the end of the year.

The utility back, who has played 12 Tests, can provide Rudolf Straeuli with reserve strength in the two positions where several of the Bok coach's presumed selections are out of action. Fullback Jaque Fourie, wings Pieter Rossouw, Breyten Paulse, Dean Hall are among those injured.

Delport was one of three European-based players that Straeuli has had in mind to strengthen the Boks this year. Of the other two, front-ranker Robbie Kempson is already with the Boks and fullback Percy Montgomery is now unlikely to return because of a disciplinary hearing he must face in Wales, where he plays for the Newport club.

Straeuli's search in Europe is in contrast with previous policy decisions by SA Rugby to ignore South African players active outside the country, but the coach has emphasised that he will seek far and wide to find his ideal World Cup team.

Delport will play for the Falcons in the Currie Cup qualifying round and has been selected in the South African A side to play Argentina in Wellington later this month. It is unlikely that he will be rushed into Springbok action this week, in spite of back-up fullback Jaco van der Westhuyzen being injured at the weekend.

Van der Westhuyzen twisted an ankle during training at the weekend, but the injury is not believed to be too serious. He will be examined again on Monday when a decision will be made on his condition. However, Ricardo Loubscher is likely to start in the test team.

Another injury problem that has had a more serious effect on Straeuli's plans for Saturday concerns the hamstring injury to Roussouw. Straeuli was hoping to enjoy the services of two experienced wingers, Rossouw and Stefan Terblanche.

Straeuli is now likely to risk the raw Ashwin Willemse on the right wing for his Test debut, although he may still be tempted to shift outside centre Andre Snyman to that position with the Stormers' Marius Joubert slotting into his berth.

Willemse is set to be one of four new caps in a new-look team that will only include one player, No 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, who played in the Boks' last match against England at Twickenham.

His fellow loose forwards in a seriously inexperienced back row getting their first taste of Springbok action are Wikus van Heerden (son of the legendary Moaner) and the industrious Stormers flank Hendrik Gerber, the fetcher in the team. Gerber will get his chance because his provincial captain, Krige, is currently injured.

The other expected debutant is tighthead Richard Bands.

The team taking shape on the King's Park fields on Friday makes a lot of sense, particularly in view of the short period of time that Straeuli has had to work with his squad.

The key to cohesion is the use of provincial combinations, with hooker Danie Coetzee and his Bulls second-row teammates, Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha. Other areas of Bulls' influence is in part a reflection of the Bulls' Super 12 campaign, with the axis of Wannenburg, scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen and flyhalf Louis Koen sure to help ball flow between the pack and the backs.

Possible Springbok starting team:

Ricardo Loubscher, Stefan Terblanche, André Snyman, Trevor Halstead, Ashwin Willemse, Louis Koen, Joost van der Westhuizen (captain), Pedrie Wannenburg, Hendrik Gerber, Wikus van Heerden, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, Lawrence Sephaka, Danie Coetzee, Richard Bands