Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am says he is ready “to do the job” if called upon after joining the squad for the Rugby World Cup in Toulon.

Am hurt his knee in the team’s RWC warm-up game against Argentina in Buenos Aires at the beginning of August. He has fully recovered and has been in a good mood since joining his teammates at their training base in France.

“It’s a good feeling to be back,” said Am.

“It’s special to be part of this group. It was frustrating being injured and to have to follow the World Cup from home. It was as though something you love is taken away from you.

“But I’ve been working hard and I’m very fortunate to have been called up to the squad.”

Am hasn’t played rugby since the injury that kept him out of Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s initial 33-man RWC squad, but he says he has been working hard on the training pitch.

“I’ve been working hard on my running and getting my fitness levels as high as possible in the last few weeks, especially given the demands of international rugby,” said Am.

“Training is obviously not the same as playing a game, but I knew it was vital to keep up to speed to be ready in case I received the call.

“When you are on standby you have to be loaded at all times and ready, so I made sure I was switched on mentally and ensured that I was ready physically as well.”

Am added: “The mental side is the most important in a situation such as that. But I’ve been cleared to play, I’m fit, and if I make the match 23 in the next match, I’ll be ready to do the job for the team.

“It’s my responsibility to get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible and to be ready to slot into the team if I’m called upon to do so.”

Am said it was strange to watch the team play from afar, but he liked seeing his teammates play in France, where they beat Scotland, Romania, and Tonga to put themselves in a good position to make it to the quarter-finals.

“It was strange (watching on television) because I know how things are in camp and the plans that are made around the opposition, but it was also beautiful to watch the team play from a different perspective, while also preparing to possibly be part of the team.”

After two days off, the Boks went back to training on Wednesday. They then had more training on Thursday and Friday, where they continued to lay the groundwork for a possible spot in the quarterfinals.

The team won’t train on Saturday, but they will start again on Sunday if they make it to the top eight.

Photo by Steve Haag Sports