Springbok giant Bakkies Botha has been ruled out for the rest of the World Cup after suffering an Achilles injury in training.
The towering lock fell awkwardly on his leg while practicing lineouts in training and becomes the second Springbok to leave the squad in a week following the earlier departure of Francois Steyn with a shoulder injury.
South African coach Peter de Villiers confirmed Botha’s injury at a press conference on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s quarter-final against Australia, and seemed to indicate that it could be the end of the 32-year old’s international career.
“It’s just one of those accidents that you get – not very good support when he came down; he landed with several tonnes of weight on that foot,” said de Villiers.
“To look in his face last night wasn’t the best thing to do, but that’s reality, that’s life, this is what we get and we just have to move on,” he added.
Botha admitted that it was a wrench to have to leave the squad, but said that despite his age and the difficulty that comes with Achilles injuries, he still had a lot to give for the Springboks and at club level – he is set to join moneybags Toulon next season on a three-year deal.
“I am a person who normally keeps my emotions out of sight but it was emotional to talk to the team this morning and tell them I would be going home,” he said.
“I told the team to cherish every moment of their time in the green and gold because you never know when it is going to be your last.
“I’m very disappointed – after all the hard work that has been put in over the past few months – but it’s not about me, it’s about the team now and there’s still a big job to do. I’ll be sitting at home with my family on Sunday with a tear on my cheek as the team takes on the Wallabies.
“But we can’t stop here – there are still three games left to play.
“This is definitely not the end of my Test career as far as I am concerned,” Botha added.
“I’ll be aiming to give 100 per cent to Toulon to help them get into the Heineken Cup and I’ll still be available for South Africa next year.
“I still have the desire to play for my country and that will be there for as long as I play. It’s a special thing to pull on this jersey and that hunger has not left me.”
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