Springboks’ chances further hit by Kirchner’s injury-Flynn defends Smit
South Africa’s chances to win the Tri-Nations’ Rugby Series were further reduced when its fullback Zane Kirchner was ruled out from the next fixture due to a knee injury.
The 26-year-old was ruled out from the Saturday’s match against New Zealand after his left knee identified a damaged cartilage. Kirchner sustained this injury during the Blue Bulls’ narrow 15-12 Currie Cup defeat to Western Province. After a thorough review, the South African Springboks’ medical team made the decision to withdraw him in order to reduce the risk of further aggravating his injury. Kirchner’s participation in the rest of the series is also not confirmed and is subject to the medical team’s judgment. With the exclusion of Kirchner, Springboks have been left with Gio Aplon as the only experienced fullback in their squad. Kirchner’s injury is certain to make already vulnerable Springboks’ defense more pregnable.
On the other hand, the Springboks’ skipper John Smit is also under heavy criticism for his inability to rally the team towards victories. Smit has been criticized not only for his captaincy but also as a player. This is because he has failed to produce much-needed impressive displays on the field. South African media has led the onslaught against Smit by terming him unfit, overweight and slow compared to his Australian and New Zealander counterparts. The 2007 World Cup hero is under immense pressure to turn things around for his team.
Despite criticism, Smit has received support from an unexpected corner- the All Blacks’ hooker Corey Flynn- who believes that Smit has enough potential to come out of the storm. According to him, Smit is one of the most recognized names in Rugby and still has very important place in this game. He said, “The thing that stands out for me about Smit is his competitiveness. With all the stuff in the press saying that he shouldn't be there, he's still there and all is going well. He'll notch up his 100th test this weekend. Smit is a very good player and he sticks it through. He's one big cannon.”
Flynn is an integral part of All Black’s unit and has been instrumental in its recent successive wins against Australia and South Africa. However, since making his debut in 2003, Flynn has just played 11 Tests due to his regular injuries. He has sustained five arm injuries during his 7 year long career. Commenting on this, he said, “As far as injuries go, you just can't look too far ahead. But I feel great at the moment, body and mind, and I reckon I can truck on for a few more years. I guess the one benefit of injuries is that when you come back you're really ready to go.” In addition to injuries, the revival of Keven Mealamu and Andrew h**e has also placed Flynn in the starting 11 under uncertainty. Similarly, the emergence of prop John Afoa is another cause of competition for Flynn. Commenting on his team-mates, Flynn said, “Keven is playing bloody well at the moment while Andrew is a class player whose shoulder reconstruction is, by all accounts, going well. Plus John also is coming on as a hooker; he has pretty good attributes for it. If Keven or I go down, he's the next one in line at the moment. So it's good for the team to have all these options.”
Flynn, who currently plays for Cantabrian, believes that the All Blacks have the potential to play better and with more efficiency. He also reckons that the presence of a 90,000-strong crowd on Saturday’s fixture will bring the best out of All Blacks.
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