Boks’ Makazole Mapimpi out of the World Cup

Makazole Mapimpi leaves the field having suffered an injury in the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup match against Tonga at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Sunday night.
Image: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It was anticipated but news of Makazole Mapimpi’s exit from the Rugby World Cup still had a jarring effect on Monday.

South African Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus confirmed the news after Mapimpi fractured his cheekbone in Sunday night’s clash against Tonga.

“It’s sad with Mapimpi’s injury because he’ll be out for the rest of the tournament,” Erasmus said.

“It’s sad that something like that happened because it was an accident, because he now has a fractured eye socket and a blowout fracture.

“The eye is swollen, and the cheekbone is fractured, so I think he’s out for four to six weeks. We won’t just miss him as a brilliant rugby player, but what he brings to the team is a lot of heart and honesty.”

Mapimpi, one of the stars of the last World Cup, drew the most raucous reaction when the Bok squad for France was unveiled in Johannesburg on August 8. Many Bok fans will be saddened by his departure.

The Boks will fly Mapimpi and their first casualty, Malcolm Marx, back to France to attend the final should they get there.

The Springboks’ post-match victory celebrations after Sunday night’s 49-18 win over Tonga were tempered by the news that Mapimpi had suffered a facial fracture.

His first-half collision with Tonga’s scrumhalf Augustin Pulu saw head-on-head contact but it was not deemed serious enough for a red or yellow card.

The severity of the injury was not yet clear when coach Jacques Nienaber addressed the media afterwards. However, when the team walked to their bus in the bowels of Stade Vé