Du Preez fractured his ankle in the Currie Cup final and is set for a lengthy period on the sidelines. His loss is a huge blow to the Springboks following his performance in the one point defeat to the All Blacks in the final round of the Rugby Championship.
Du Toit made 21 carries and put in 10 tackles in the 25-24 defeat in Cape Town and seemed nailed-on for a starting berth against Wales in the final game of the 2017 Under Armour Series on Saturday, 2 December at the Principality Stadium. Botha becomes the fifth lock in the tour party
“It was decided to bolster the group with another lock as the squad currently has sufficient cover among the loose forwards. Ruan has played consistently well this year and has been part of our training camps,” said Coetzee.
“He has led the Sharks to the Currie Cup final and the Vodacom Super Rugby play-offs this season and is not only a consistently good performer, but also a strong leader. Franco Mostert is not available for the Welsh test as it falls outside the international window, and the tour gives us a good chance to work with Ruan while he also familiarises himself further with the Springbok environment.
“With Pieter-Steph du Toit that can also perform well at flank plus the addition of Oupa Mohoje to the loose forwards, we believe that we have sufficiently cover at blindside flank.”
The Springboks open their tour against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday 11, November. They also face France, Italy and Wales.
Under Armour Series 2017 – BUY TICKETS HERE
WALES v AUSTRALIA – Saturday, 11 November 2017 (17:15)
WALES v GEORGIA – Saturday, 18 November 2017 (14:30)
WALES v NEW ZEALAND – Saturday, 25 November 2017 (17:15) SOLD OUT
WALES v SOUTH AFRICA – Saturday, 2 December 2017 (14:30)
Official Hospitality Packages are available from 02920 822 413 or visit www.wru.wales/hospitality and official travel packages can be purchased from the WRU’s official travel supplier, Gullivers Sports Travel by visiting www.gulliverstravel.co.uk
The WRU’s official resale marketplace, which gives clubs the opportunity to re-sell a limited selection of their allocated tickets to the general public, can also be found at www.seatwave.com/wru
