CJ Van Der Linde to join up with Springboks.

thomond2006

From rugby365:

CJ answers Bok SOS

CJ van der Linde will be flying from Dublin to join the Springboks in France on Wednesday after Jannie du Plessis, the third member of Friday's battered front row, goes home injured.

Already Gürthro Steenkamp and Chiliboy Ralepelle have gone home injured from the front row destroyed by Leicester Tigers on Friday night with Martín Castrogiovanni in the role of Attila the Hun. Du Plessis has a hand injury.

Van der Linde is fit, playing for Leinster but as an overseas Springbok would not normally have been considered for the side, but this clearly is an emergency. He has played in 56 Tests for the Springboks, the last against Australia in August 2008 after which he went to Dublin.

Van der Linde made his Test debut as a 22-year-old against Scotland in 2002 and was a member of the World Cup-winning squad of 2007.
Peter de Villiers said: “It’s fantastic that we're able to call on a player with CJ’s experience to join the squad.
“With such a tight schedule it is also helpful to be able to bring in someone who has been part of the group before, knows the systems and will settle in quickly. CJ is also a specialist tighthead who will provide the type of cover we will need.
“It is unfortunate that we have lost three players so early in the tour but that is part of the game and we have to be able to manage such setbacks."

Van der Linde will travel to France on Wednesday where the rest of the squad, arriving from Johannesburg and London, will converge in Toulouse. The other two replacements Wian du Preez and Adriaan Strauss will join the squad in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Should be a good way for CJ to get some game time before the ML restarts in December.

phog

Yeah, he has been unlucky with injuries, hopefully, he'll survive the AIs and return fitter to Leinster.

danthefan

Very pleased for the big man, coming back from a career threatening injury back to playing international rugby again. Congrats.

thomond2006

It would cool (although very unlikely) if he played against Ireland.

He'd be up against Cian Healy in the scrum! :pac:

chupacabra

thomond2006 wrote: »

It would cool (although very unlikely) if he played against Ireland.

He'd be up against Cian Healy in the scrum! :pac:

Its possible, any number of injuries to that Springbok front row would have him included in the match day 22 at least.

Crash

With Steenkamp and Du Plessis out, how many props do they have left? And how many more that can play tighthead?

chupacabra

Crash wrote: »

With Steenkamp and Du Plessis out, how many props do they have left? And how many more that can play tighthead?

Smit is their first choice tight head and they have Mtawarrira back for them at loosehead, after that its Heinke Van Der Merwe (loosehead), CJ(both sides) and Wian Du Preez(both sides)

Crash

Thought Du Preez was primarily a loosehead? This is what I was wondering, I knew loosie was well enough covered at the moment, but an injury to Smit could see CJ in a lot faster than expected.

Podge_irl

Crash wrote: »

Thought Du Preez was primarily a loosehead? This is what I was wondering, I knew loosie was well enough covered at the moment, but an injury to Smit could see CJ in a lot faster than expected.

Do the Boks have two games before facing Ireland? There must be a fair chance that CJ will end up getting some game time against Ireland.

damnyanks

He'd be very good to have on the bench I'd imagine given his insight into LEinster!

laugh

damnyanks wrote: »

He'd be very good to have on the bench I'd imagine given his insight into LEinster!

Prob come on and feck his toe again.

ALH-06

laugh wrote: »

Prob come on and feck his toe again.

That's what I'd be worried about. Leinster are paying him a fortune and he hasn't been able to play for us much at all yet!

But hopefully he'll keep injury-free and gain some match fitness...

magotch07

hopefully he will get some game time for SA and hit the ground running for leinster in dec start earning the money he is been paid by leinster

Crash

CJ named on the bench against France.

anonymous_joe

Good luck to him.