Noble Nokwe on the mend
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:26
Try-scoring hero Jongi Nokwe looks doubtful for selection for the Cheetahs' Currie Cup showdown with Western Province (WP) this weekend, though his injury is not as serious as initially thought.
The newly-capped Springbok wing who achieved a record feat of four tries against Australia during South Africa's final Tri-Nations Test in Johannesburg last Saturday, was taken off the field in the second half with an ankle injury.
Nokwe however showed no obvious signs of discomfort on Monday, having supported his teammates from the sidelines during the Cheetahs' practice session.
Nokwe admitted that the pain had subsided significantly, although Naka Drotske confirmed that he would not be considered for the WP game in Bloemfontein - but will continue to play a part in the Cheetahs' Currie Cup campaign.
"His chances of playing [against WP] are at evens, but we decided to not consider him for this weekend's match," Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske told Volksblad.
"We want him to be positive about his readiness, and we want him to retain the self-confidence he gained [from the Springbok match against Australia].
"With that in mind, we'd rather select him next week again," he added.
Nokwe became the first Springbok to score four tries in a Tri-Nations Test, and also set the record for the most number of tries scored against Australia.
The pacy wing is also the first Cheetah to score four Test tries.
