Rest easy Jake, Habana is in the clear

Springbok coach Jake White and the Lions breathed a collective sigh of relief on Monday, when outstanding young centre Bryan Habana was cleared of any serious damage to his knee on Monday evening.

Bryan Habana: In the clear

Habana was forced out of the Lions' match against Griquas at half-time, and subsequently underwent arthroscopy to determine the exact extent of the damage.

But after having a "tiny" piece of bone removed from the cartilage on Monday, Habana was released from hospital.

The South African Under-21 star will not need to undergo surgery, and is expected to be back in time for the Lions' Currie Cup semi-final match in two weeks time.

It is welcome news indeed for White, who rates the youngster highly and is almost certain to include Habana in the Bok squad for the year-end tour, but more so for the Lions who have been hit by a spate of injuries in the business end of the Currie Cup.

They will be without veteran lock Jannes Labuschagne for the remainder of the season after Labuschagne's nightmare injury run continued this season, and against the Pumas the Lions will also be without combative scrum-half Enrico Januarie.

The semi-final match-ups have not yet been confirmed, but regardless of who the Lions face, they will be hoping Habana is in their starting lineup come play-off time.

White, meanwhile, will be keeping a close eye on the likes of Sharks flanker AJ Venter, Fourie du Preez and Victor Matfield, all of whom picked up a variety of injuries during the weekend's action.

Venter is optimistic he will be ready in time for the November tour after a trip to the doctor on Monday revealed positive news and the Boks' physiotherapist, Clint Readhead, has already contacted Venter to find out exactly what the problem is. Readhead will also stay in touch with Venter's doctors in Durban.

Du Preez (foot) and Matfield (ankle) both picked up injuries during the Bulls' draw against the Cheetahs over the weekend and will be assessed on Wednesday. And White will undoubtedly be in contact with Bulls management for the results.

The Bok coach has stressed the need for continuity in the international squad this season and the last thing he needs is a string of injuries to his top-flight stars to unravel his plans on the eve of the team's 'Grand Slam' tour of Europe in November.

By Rob Peters