CRONJE FAILS FITNESS TEST

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30802, 14 July 1965, Page 17

CRONJE FAILS FITNESS TEST

At Linwood High School yesterday morning the Springbok players who are not playing gambolled happily, playing soccer and touch Rugby.

But on an adjacen ground the wing, C. J. Cronje, who has not palyed since he injured a leg at Perth, strode up and down in a self-imposed fitness test

For a few minutes Cronje a former South African 22( yards hurdle champion, strodf smoothly—but then he triec to accelerate, and pulled up He did some exercises easily enough, but admittec that when he tried to stretch out he felt his muscle injury It may mean th- end of thf tour for Cronje. It >s unlikelj that he will be fit to plaj again for some weeks. It would be a hard blow foi South Africa. He is regardec as the best wing in the tour ing side. He has speed, de termination, and a flai- for tht nrracinn

No decision has been reached whether a replacement will be sought for him. Today, Mr T. C. Morrison, the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Council, will discuss the matter with the Spring-

boks manager, Mr J. F. Louw, and the New Zealand Union liaison officer, Mr M. S. Ingpen. It is expected the New Zealand Union will ask Cronje to be its guest for the tour—a handsome gesture. But because of the tours’ agreement, which stipulates that badly injured players should return home, Cronje may leave for South Africa early in August Another injured player in the Springbok camp is the No 8, D. J. Hopwood. He has recovered from his back injury but at training on Monday he received a knock on his knee. He went to hospital yesterday for an X-ray which disclosed nothing worse than some swelling on the knee.