The Springbok squad that will represent South Africa at next month’s World Cup in Japan will be named on Monday afternoon.
One player whose name will not be read out when coach Rassie Erasmus reveals his 31-man squad at 3pm, is winger Aphiwe Dyantyi.
Alongside No.8 Warren Whiteley and flyhalf-cum-fullback Damian Willemse, Dyantyi was in a race against time to recover from injury ahead of the squad announcement.
But this past weekend, it came to light that he tested positive for a banned substance on July 2 and has asked for his B sample to be tested.
PICKS: Bok boss Rassie Erasmus. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/BackpagePix.
The 24-year-old, who won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year last season, says: “I want to deny ever taking any prohibited substance, intentionally or negligently to enhance my performance on the field. I believe in hard work and fair play.
“I have never cheated and never will. The presence of this prohibited substance in my body has come as a massive shock to me and together with my management team and experts appointed by them, we are doing everything we can to get to the source of this and to prove my innocence.
“I underwent a drug test on the 15th of June 2019 which did not return any adverse finding.”
He adds: “I want to apologise in advance to my teammates and management at the Lions and Springboks, my friends and my family for the negative impact this news may have.”
OUT: Damian Willemse may be heading to the World Cup. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix.
Of the injured trio, only Willemse returned to action in time and might be a surprise in Erasmus’s squad.
With 32 players having had a camp in Bloemfontein this past week, players that are in danger of possibly getting cut are Rynhardt Elstadt, Warrick Gelant and Frans Steyn.