The Springboks have received some welcome news regarding the loosehead prop, Ox Nche, following his injury in the Test against England on Saturday.

The former Cheetahs player limped off the park injured during Saturday’s hard-fought 29-20 win against England in London.

This injury made life difficult for the Boks, especially when Gerhard Steenekamp, was yellow carded for repeated infringements at the lineout.

Vincent Koch had to switch to the loosehead as Wilco Louw is a specialist tighthead. That said, it was more a case of the Springboks having one less man in the scrum that they were under pressure in the setpiece slightly.

The Springbok coach, Rassie Erasmus, said there is no real concern about the Bloemfontein-born front-rower.

“It's a cut above the knee, so it's not the knee itself, which is positive, but it's a quite deep cut,” said Erasmus.

“I think it's something very similar to the cut above the knee that Ethan de Groot of New Zealand had. I’m not a medical doctor or not a doctor at all. It just depends on how quickly the stitches heal, so the knee itself is not injured, it's this much above the knee.

“So hopefully we can begin again, but we won't risk him if that thing is going to go open again. So it’s not the knee, it’s a cut.”

On Saturday at 19:40 the Springboks will face Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport