Makazole Mapimpi's Rugby World Cup Fate in Question Following Injury in Tonga Clash

The Springboks’ celebrated their 49-18 win over Tonga on Sunday, a victory that propels the defending champions closer to a Rugby World Cup quarter-final place. However, the triumph could have come at a significant cost with wing Makazole Mapimpi possibly out of the ongoing tournament due to a fractured cheekbone.

Mapimpi, a key player and a 2019 World Cup winner, collided with tackler Augustine Pulu during the game, an incident that did not provoke a yellow card following its review.

According to Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, "Makazole has a fracture of his cheekbone, so he will go for specialist scans to determine the severity of it."

The Springboks are waiting anxiously for the outcome of these scans as the loss of Mapimpi could change the dynamics of the competition.

However, there’s some good news in the Springboks camp with the return of flyhalf Handre Pollard. After a 13-month hiatus, Pollard played for 50 minutes and his performance, according to Nienaber, was “solid”.

Confirmation of the Boks' ascension to quarter-finals of the World Cup hinges on the upcoming match between Scotland and Ireland in Paris.

In a reflective statement, Nienaber said, “It is something we have done before and it worked well back then. We will give the players two to three days off, a mental break, and then start preparing.”

While this game marked the first time the Boks conceded three tries since their loss to Japan in 2015, Nienaber showed no concern, praising the team’s defensive tactics and attitude.