Three players name-dropped as potential replacements for Duane Vermeulen

The Springboks are considering their options and have kept their cards close to their chest when it comes to Duane Vermeulen’s replacement.

Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids addressed the media on Wednesday commenting on the Springboks' plans at No 8, with Vermeulen still sidelined after injuring his ankle playing for the Bulls a few weeks ago.

“In terms of Duane, he is also busy with his rehabilitation," Davids said.

"He is in contact in terms of how the progress is going. We are also expecting him to join our group in the next few weeks and we are looking forward to having him part of the squad, whether his contribution is off the field or on it. We would like him to share his experience with us with our preparation going forward into this series.”

When questioned about the potential replacements for Vermeulen, Davids said that the Springbok coaches were approaching the replacement with an open mind.

“At this stage, we have a very open mindset in terms of our approach,” Davids explained.

“As has been mentioned, we have got a couple of options available. During our training sessions, we have shifted players around and tested the different combinations.

“In terms of options, we have got Kwagga [Smith]. There is also a new guy like Jasper Wiese. Dan du Preez has played Test-match rugby and has been in outstanding form and had a great game last week."

"So, we will do a thorough assessment of our loose forwards available and hopefully we will have a clear understanding come Sunday and Monday in terms of what we want to do over the next two games against Georgia.”