Morné van den Berg has completed his recovery from a torn bicep ahead of schedule and is back in contention for the Springbok No.9 jersey after a layoff that initially carried a four-to-six month prognosis.
The Lions scrumhalf, known as 'Krappie', suffered the injury in late May during the URC match against Munster and went under the knife immediately, ruling him out of the Lions' play-off against Leinster in Dublin and threatening a significant portion of his international season.
With Embrose Papier and Herschel Jantjies earning recalls and pressing their claims during his absence, Van den Berg leaned on his faith, a strict rehabilitation programme and a close support structure to keep himself on track. "I trusted the plan that the Lord has for me and worked on my skill, became fitter and worked on my mental fortitude," the 28-year-old said in a virtual media briefing. "Those players put up their hands and got rewarded. To come back and compete with them is incredible."
Rassie Erasmus referenced Van den Berg publicly in injury updates during the layoff, a signal that the six-times capped scrumhalf remained part of national plans despite the setback.
Van den Berg made his Test debut against Portugal in 2024 and earned his first start against Australia in Perth. He returns fully fit and, by his own account, sharper for the time away from the field.