- Springbok veterans Duane Vermeulen and Frans Steyn look unlikely to feature in the opening two Rugby Championship Tests against the All Blacks starting next week.
- Vermeulen, in particular, is still a way off match fitness, having not engaged in a full training session since knee surgery to remove cartilage.
- However, both men were nonetheless included because the Bok staff wanted to determine where the two men were currently conditioning-wise.
Whispers of Duane Vermeulen's imminent return to the Springbok starting lineup appear off the mark as he still recovers from knee surgery.
The 36-year-old stalwart No 8 was announced as one of only two changes to the national squad last weekend for the back-to-back Rugby Championship clashes with the All Blacks starting next week, sparking speculation of a swift return.
But Bok coach Jacques Nienaber on Wednesday revealed that Vermeulen hasn't yet returned to full training.
"Duane hasn't had a rugby session with us yet. It would be tough for him to get into the mix," he said from the team's base in Hazyview, where they are preparing for next Saturday's Test at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
"In a sense, he's still busy with his return-to-play protocol."
While it's unlikely that he'll feature, fellow veteran Frans Steyn is back and putting in the hard yards after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in the latter stages of the Currie Cup.
"Frans is training with us, he started the pre-season with the Cheetahs last week already," said Nienaber.
"So he's already got a week under his belt."
Instead, the duo's inclusion is clearly designed to determine their suitability for the remainder of the Rugby Championship campaign, which will see the Boks travel to Australia and Argentina for matches.
"We'd rather have a good look at them with our medical staff to assess where they are and then make a decision after this incoming leg of the Rugby Championship," said Nienaber.
"The main thing is, they first have to handle this week's load, and it's only still Wednesday. We still have a Friday session to come too as well as next week's match preparation, after which we'll have to make a decision.
"The key thing was just to get them in, see where they're at and what their conditioning currently is. We also want to put them in our rugby environment and see how they might cope.
"Then we can make an informed decision on selection."
Vermeulen and Steyn's enduring value was apparent in their respective seasons with Ulster and the Cheetahs, but their injury layoffs are also timely reminders that they'll need to be managed effectively for next year's World Cup in France.
"If you have a squad that's more of a performing older group, you've got to manage their load. 22- and 23-year-olds can handle a far bigger and heavier load on the body because they recover quicker," said Nienaber.
"Like most of us when we become older, you have to look after the body."