South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth plays down injury concerns

South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth has played down injury fears following his latest setback in the Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland last weekend.

The 31-year-old sustained a shoulder injury during the encounter in Marseille where he was forced to leave the field in the 26th minute and was replaced by RG Snyman.

Etzebeth, who has played 114 times for the Springboks said he will be undergoing a scan on Tuesday to assess the extent of the damage.

“We'll go for scans tomorrow but I don't think it is too bad,” said Etzebeth.

Malcolm Marx, who also sustained a head wound during the game against Gregor Townsend's men which saw them beat their opponents with a 18-3 margin is expected to be fit for the second round game against Romania in Bordeaux on 17th September.

South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber is pleased with the victory over Scotland and is now looking to maintain the momentum for the remainder of the tournament.

“It was a slippery one. Scotland are a good team. They are not number five in the world for nothing. We had to grind the win out.

“Rugby is not a complicated sport. If you get a good platform from the forwards, then you can create space and create some magic.

“The big thing for us is to get a return for our dominance. We couldn't build any scoreboard pressure. There is a lot to look at and we have to make sure we pitch up with the right mentality against Romania.”