World Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is set to return to Japan in mid-April as he steps up his recover from shoulder surgery.
The 32-year-old Springboks ace, who has not played since November, was de-registered by his club, Steve Hansen and Ian Foster’s lowly Toyota Verblitz, in January after undergoing surgery in his homeland.
Cash-rich Aichi outfit Toyota drafted in ex-Toyota player and former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, South African Adre Smith and New Zealand prospect Blair Ryall to ease their back-row injury concerns with regular captain Kazuki Himeno also sidelined by injury.
The club has confirmed that du Toit will return to the club “within the next month” having been initially ruled out until May.
South Africa’s two-time World Rugby Player of The Year and back-to-back World Cup winner will be eligible to play as soon as he is re-registered and will be in a race to be fit to help the club in their relegation fight.
The bottom three clubs in Japan’s top-flight will feature in a two-leg relegation/promotion match against the top three sides in the second tier.
Toyota are currently one from bottom in 11th position with only two wins from their 11 games.
Beleaguered Hansen and Foster will have do to some tinkering to their matchday squad and leave out a star name when du Toit returns to the fold.
League One clubs are only eligible to select three players capped by international countries (Category C) for a matchday squad.
Those spots are currently occupied by former Scotland international Richie Gray, All Blacks legend Aaron Smith and Michael Hooper. Du Toit will become the fourth Category C registered player on their books with only three able to feature in a matchday squad.
Toyota also confirmed that fly-half Japan Rikiya Matsuda (right hip) and full-back Tiaan Falcon (right arm) have both been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Hooper has been reappointed as club captain, for the first time four years, for the visit of Kurt-Lee Arendse’s Mitsubishi DynaBoars, who defeated Toyota in February, on Saturday.
Picture courtesy of JRLO
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