VIDEO: Two-time winner's World Cup dream hanging by a thread
Veteran Springbok utility Frans Steyn has been ruled out of the remainder of the Currie Cup season and is in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie revealed on Thursday that a knee injury is set to keep the two-time World Cup winner on the sidelines for two to three months.
With the World Cup scheduled to get underway in France on September 8, it leaves the Bloemfontein-based star very little time to prove his fitness once he has completed his rehabilitation.
"He will be sidelined for about two to three months," Fourie told @rugby365com, adding that he will not feature again in this year's Currie Cup.
He sustained the injury in the Cheetahs' 32-7 Currie Cup win over the Bulls in Bloemfontein last month.
Steyn missed the Cheetahs' subsequent Challenge Cup Round of 16 trip to Toulon last week, in which the Cheetahs lost 21-36 at Stade Félix Mayol.
"He underwent an arthroscopy on his knee and it was worse than the doctor expected," the Cheetahs' coach said.
The 35-year-old, who played key roles for the Boks in the 2007 and 2019 World Cup victories, has made no secret of his desire to travel to France with the defending champions in September and October.
He became just the second South African player to win the World Cup twice, following Springbok great Pieter du Randt.
Like Du Randt, Steyn won his two tournaments 12 years apart, first lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in 2007 as a 20-year-old.
(Article continues below the Hawies Fourie interview ...)
His experience of 78 Springbok Tests, including World Cup wins in 2007 and 2019, and almost 300 first-class games for the Sharks, Cheetahs, Racing 92, Montpellier and Brave Lupus has been on display on the domestic stage this year.
With Steyn having hoped to achieve the rare feat of a fourth World Cup, he has worked very hard to recover from the hamstring troubles that kept him off the pitch previously and started getting his weight under control.
"It is a big setback for him," Fourie said, adding: "Maybe he recovers soon and there is still a door open for him."
The Cheetahs have not been able to finalise their schedule for after the Currie Cup season, but there are a couple of games against the Western Force and the annual Bloemfontein Challenge Cup series in the pipeline.
"Hopefully we'll finalise them and he will be able to play in those games in August."
If Steyn is unable to go to France - where he will fulfil the utility role - Damian Willemse will be vital as a back to Handre Pollard (knee), Elton Jantjies and Manie Libbok in the No.10 channel.
Damian de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen are the front runners for the No.12 jersey - with Willemse the back-up there.
Willie le Roux could again be the first-choice at fullback, although Willemse are likely to get a couple of starts in the No.15 jersey.
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