Bok star duo keep their spirits up

CENTRE Jaque Fourie is wandering the streets of Cape Town on holiday and flyhalf Pat Lambie is stalking the halls of King’s Park as both sit frustrated on the sidelines, but for differing reasons.

Fourie is enjoying an off-season after club commitments with the Kobe Steelers in Japan and is staying fit with a view to making the Springbok team in June – for which he has been cleared to play.

Lambie by contrast, won’t be on a field until late August at the earliest after tearing a bicep tendon in March. The unfortunate injury has set back his Springbok ambitions in an increasingly desperate race to find the right flyhalf to take the Springboks to the World Cup in 2015.

Fourie, 31, is feeling better than he has in years after two seasons of low-impact Japanese club rugby and is almost sure to be in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s plans.

“My career goal from the last couple of years since going overseas is to play in a fourth World Cup, which would be amazing for me,” Fourie said at the launch of the new Springbok jersey.

“So I am working on getting physically and mentally ready for the World Cup and giving myself a good chance of contending for a spot in the squad.”

Fourie is unable to play during Super Rugby because it would mean hefty injury insurance payments that he, or a financially strained Super Rugby franchise, would have to shoulder.

But Fourie has made it clear that he is available for the June Test against Wales and Scotland, which fall into an official International Rugby Board (IRB) window.

“I am not allowed to play, I am on holiday now. I will be involved with the Springboks but at this moment I am just training on my own, running on my own,” said Fourie.

“I’m a professional rugby player. I train every day, I gym every day to get ready for what I want to do. So for me playing games is how your body gets used to the knocks and bruises.”

Lambie recently had successful surgery to reattach the severed tendon and is keeping himself busy by completing his honours degree in environmental management and sitting in on Sharks planning sessions.

“The rehab is going well. The surgery was a success they tell me and I’m back in the gym working hard in between physio sessions,” said Lambie.

“I’m excited about coming back fitter and stronger than before.

“It was really disappointing to be injured when I was because I was enjoying starting at 10 at the Sharks and playing under (coach) Jake White.

“But this is part of rugby and I’m staying positive in everything I do, which is why I spend most days at the stadium and contributing to tactical and planning discussions where I can.

“Heyneke Meyer called me after I was injured and wished me well with my recovery but he didn’t make any promises about my future, which I can understand.”