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JOHANNESBURG - Springboks coach Jake White is sweating on the fitness of midfield back Jean de Villiers before South Africa leave for the rugby World Cup on Monday.
White is also hoping Bulls winger Akona Ndungane will recover in time to climb on the plane.
De Villiers and Ndungane are nursing rib injuries sustained during the Springboks' warmup games against Namibia and Connacht.
White and his World Cup party have already lost loose forward Pierre Spies, who withdrew from the squad this month after coughing up blood during training.
Spies was later diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in his lungs.
The Bulls No 8, however, is seeking a fourth opinion on his 'illness' and is looking to play provincial rugby in coming weeks. He believes he has been cured of the illness.
The loss of De Villiers would be a further blow to the Springboks' chances of winning the World Cup, with the experienced No 12 seen by many as a creative genius.
Both Spies and Ndungane will undergo fitness tests tomorrow before the team's farewell banquet in South Africa on Sunday.
"It's up to the medical team to make the call," said De Villiers said today.
"They'll have to decide what is best for the team and what is best for me.
"I'm feeling good though and confident I'll be on the plane. I started running on Tuesday and didn't feel any discomfort. But I'll be fighting hard to be fit for the opener against Samoa (on September 10)."
De Villiers missed the 2003 World Cup in Australia after injuring knee ligaments in a warmup game weeks out from the start of the tournament.
This time around, however, he has done everything in his power to represent his country in France.
De Villiers has undergone nine sessions inside a decompression chamber, which is believed to speed up recovery from injury. In total, the 25-year-old has spent 18 hours in the decompression chamber.
In 1995, Springboks fullback Andre Joubert spent time in a decompression chamber as he fought to be fit for the final against the All Blacks, after injuring his hand in the early stages of the tournament.
- AFP
