Eben Etzebeth has been added to the Springbok touring squad, replacing flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed, who is returning to Cape Town to have a sore shoulder assessed ahead of the URC resumption in early December.
Etzebeth has been sidelined since picking up an injury in the Sharks-Stormers URC derby, and the initial expectation was that he would not recover in time for the tour. His rehabilitation has accelerated sufficiently over the past week for Rassie Erasmus to make the call.
Whether Etzebeth features against France in Paris on Friday will be confirmed later on Monday, with Erasmus again opting for an early team announcement. The case for fast-tracking him into the matchday squad is strengthened by his recent workload — he played all three Rugby's Greatest Rivalry matches against the All Blacks and a full 80 minutes against Argentina before his injury, and his familiarity with Bok systems reduces the preparation time required.
The urgency of the call-up was compounded by a back injury to Salmaan Moerat, who was forced out of the Italy match in Turin in the warm-up after suffering back spasms. Erasmus described Moerat as the only casualty from the 66-7 win and expressed hope the issue is not serious.
Ahmed, 20, was one of six uncapped players in the squad and had missed most training in the build-up to the Turin match due to the shoulder complaint. Erasmus confirmed the decision to send him home was made with his recovery in mind and expressed confidence the exposure would serve him well.
Beyond Friday's Test in Paris, Etzebeth's presence becomes increasingly important when the Boks face Ireland in Dublin — their final Nations Championship league fixture before the Finals Weekend in London the following week.
The Boks' 59-point win over Italy extended their points differential advantage over New Zealand to 89, before the All Blacks reduced the gap by 22 with their win over Scotland, leaving New Zealand 67 points adrift on the Championship standings.