The Springboks are set for a major boost ahead of the quarter-finals at the Rugby World Cup being played in France.

The 2019 World Cup winner, Lukhanyo Am, reported for training on Wednesday after being called up as a injury replacement.

Am joined the squad at the expense of the winger Makazole Mapimpi who was ruled out because of a cheekbone fracture that he sustained during the 49-18 win against Tonga in Marseille on Sunday.

Am jump right into the thick of things and trained with the team after he himself recovered from a knee injury that he picked up against Argentina in Buenos Aires just days before the World Cup squad announcement.

Felix Jones - SA Rugby

Am is set to play in the quarter-finals if the Boks manage to get out of the Pool and the assistant coach, Felix Jones, said that he is the kind of player that can jump into the deep end after an injury.

“Luckily for us Lukhanyo is quite an experienced player and has been a part of the group for many years now,” said Jones when asked about Am.

“I think probably everyone will agree that when Lukhanyo is at his best he can slot into almost any team.

“It’s not that long since Lukhanyo was actually with us. I think the last game was Argentina away in Buenos Aires. That’s not that long ago, it’s only five or six test matches ago.

“Lukhanyo was actually involved in all of our alignment camps, all of our training sessions, up to the point of us pretty much leaving for the World Cup, or the week or two before. He’ll be fully up to speed with how things are going here.”

The Springboks will know their fate on Saturday evening when Ireland tackle Scotland at Stade de France in Paris.

Meanwhile, this evening in Pool A, the three-time champions, New Zealand, will battle it out against Uruguay in Lyon.

For the All Blacks it is a must-win game in order for them to keep their chances of advancing alive, while for the Los Terus there will be a tremendous amount of pride at stake.

Uruguay can’t advance any further in the competition, but they will want to ensure that they go out with a bang.

The Los Teros - Getty

The All Blacks hooker, Codie Taylor, said the Los Teros will certainly be up for the challenge.

“A lot of the language we've used this week is around individual preparation and mindset, getting yourself right,” said Taylor.

“You know, you're not wrong in saying that when you're playing big games, there's a bit of edge straight away, how tough they are.

“But saying that, we've really previewed Uruguay and they're a really confident team. They way their captain speaks, they have a lot of belief, which is awesome to see. “

They back themselves and we've prepared accordingly. There's been an awesome edge at training this week.”

Tonight’s match in Lyon kicks off at 21:00. Tomorrow night at the same time, France will play against Italy at the same venue in their final Pool A game.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport