The Springboks suffered another injury blow ahead of the series against the British and Irish Lions with the news that Frans Steyn may be out for several weeks.
Louis de Villiers writes for Sport 24 that the versatile backline player injured knee ligaments against the Highlanders. It’s a similar injury to the one that sidelined Ruan Pienaar for seven weeks. If Steyn’s injury does not recover faster than Pienaar’s, he will have to wait until he is 34 in order to play against the Lions in South Africa again!
Steyn’s injury comes shortly after a broken leg ruled Stormers fullback Conrad Jantjes out for the season. Jantjes would have started at fullback for South Africa.
There is also still uncertainty about injuries to Schalk Burger (calf), Jean de Villiers (groin) and Andries Bekker (ribs).
Sharks coach John Plumtree said Ruan Pienaar would start at flyhalf in Steyn’s absence against the Waratahs.
He believes Pienaar is 100 percent ready and will be a key player in Steyn’s absence.
“We only left him on the bench as a precautionary measure. Some players enjoy being thrown straight back in after a long absence, while others prefer being introduced gradually. We thought it would suit Ruan to make his comeback off the bench,” said Plumtree.
In other developments, scrumhalf Rory Kockott has been suspended for a week, but centre Adrian Jacobs was back in training.
Plumtree was philosophical about the punishment dished out to Kockott, who struck Highlanders flank Adam Thomson with an open hand.
“It could have been worse,” Plumtree told the media.
“Rory was immediately embarrassed about the incident. He apologised to his teammates straight afterwards.” Sanzar judicial officer Dekker Govender considered the incident reckless and suspended Kockott for a week.
Kockott will therefore be back when the Sharks take on the Bulls in the final round. Charl McLeod will play scrumhalf in Kockott’s place.
Meanwhile, Govender also suspended Highlanders centre Daniel Bowden for a week for a high tackle on the Sharks’ Riaan Swanepoel.
Tweet
😯 not a train smash that Steyn is out for this weekend, but we will certainly miss him in the coming weeks.
Is this the end of the season for the Sharks?
Rory very lucky to get 1 week, imo the Sharks are very unlucky with injuries this year, its really testing our depth and character. 1 good thing is, some okes getting a run with the big boys.
i hope adi is well enough to play
WE need to buy 1 good centre, maybe Jaque Fourie and a good flyhalf as well for the future.
@Loosehead (Comment 2) :
NOT even CLOSE.
Backline of, Macleod, Pienaar, Swanepoel, Jacobs, and the three OBs has nothing wrong with it.
Then next week Kockott is back to help us beat the Bulls.
Somehow ‘I told you so’ just doesn’t quite do it does it??
this isn’t a train smash. we don’t really need the bp, a win will suffice. and getting rid of two of our defence problem players could work in our favour. andries and riaan aren’t the greatest attacking centres (although riaan did well on saturday), but both are good in defence. with adi in and ruan’s clever passing we have a good balance in the backline. we have also gotten rid of two players that kick good ball away. i think this may work in the sharks favour, as long as we don’t get anymore injuries.
the real question is, was that the last time we see frans in a sharks jersey. i think it is. so it will be good to give our future stars a run.
@try time (Comment 9) : So how would you pick your backline ❓
@Charlie (Comment 10) : easy charl, ruan, riaan, adi, odwa, jp and stefan. waylon, monty and dries on the bench. although starting with dries to give adi time to get ready might be the better option. like they bought on ruan last week.
Kockett out, Steyn out – Try Time must be in 7th heaven!!! 😈
@Morné (Comment 12) :
He’s now just hoping something falls on Stefan’s leg at training. 😛
Someone spelt Kockott wrong in the heading! 🙄
@try time (Comment 11) : For once it seems like we can agree on something, BTW positive thinking
@Morné (Comment 12) : No that will require a mishap to Stefan. 🙂
@klempie (Comment 14) : Rory Knock-Out sounds better 😈 😆 😈
@klempie (Comment 14) :
Someone typed it twice to actually PUT the K in but seems to STILL have coced it up. 😳
Someone has spelt cocked wrong in comment 18! 🙄
Someone else ran 2.6km in 12:02 last night. 😎
@klempie (Comment 20) :
You mean klempie ran 2.6km in 12:02 last night.
Did klempie feel good after klempie’s run??
@Morné (Comment 12) : damn right. it is like a migraine has been relieved.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) : i don’t mind having stefan in the team now. we aren’t looking for bp’s, we want wins. if we needed a bp to get a home semi, then i’ll be wishing evil things on stefan.
oh this post goes with this article.
http://www.supersport.com/rugby/article.aspx?headline=Barritt%20a%20big%20loss%20to%20SA&id=264257
rob and i will be in our element if there is such a clause. i think we have an injury crisis don’t you.
@wpw (Comment 21) : I’ve been building up since I had my cold. What I find is my legs are stuffed after two days of that so I have to take two days on two days off. 😛
@try time (Comment 24) :
Question is, will Barritt be summoned back?
Get Rob to contact him and find out whether anyone has been in touch!
@Morné (Comment 26) :
Barritt is overrated.
A poor man’s De Wet Barry.
@wpw (Comment 27) :
😈
@wpw (Comment 27) : says he who supports wp. 😈 😆
@wpw (Comment 27) : @Morné (Comment 28) : @try time (Comment 29) : The Stormers: a poor man’s Sharks. 😛
@try time (Comment 29) :
And yet De Wet has a FEW CC medals along with a Tri Nations medal and how about throwing in some SPRINGBOK CAPS??
😎
@klempie (Comment 30) : 😆 😆 😆
anyway before we get excited about his possible return, i think the sharks are ok for the moment. but we cannot afford an injury to ruan or a centre.
@wpw (Comment 27) : when it comes to stirring, wpw is overrated. A poor man’s bryce or try time.
@try time (Comment 33) :
You can always call up Waylon Murray… 🙄
@wpw (Comment 31) : Most our boys have WC medals. 😎 Far outweighs a few fortunate CC medals. 😛
@robdylan (Comment 34) : 😆
@wpw (Comment 35) : Waylon’s awesome.
@Morné (Comment 26) : I have asked, but i already know the answer. There is no chance he’ll come back
@robdylan (Comment 34) :
And yet the reactions to my posts keep rolling in. 😎
I’m actually impressed that you didn’t bite Robbo seeing as Brad is YOUR lovechild.
OK, no more stirring for the rest of the today. 😕
@klempie (Comment 36) :
Were you thinking that when we beat you in the CC final in 2000/1??? 😉
@wpw (Comment 40) : OK, no more stirring for the rest of the today. 😕
Awwwwwwwwwwww. 🙁
@klempie (Comment 38) :
Awesome at running sideways. 😆
@wpw (Comment 41) : I wasn’t really watching rugby back then so no. 😎
@wpw (Comment 43) : Nah uh. I witnessed first hand the semi-winning try in Durbs where he scythed straight the Blues defenses to score just to the left of the posts. 😎
@klempie (Comment 44) :
I must say, the Stormers/Province fans here are very good-humoured. I suppose one has to be amongst such mediocrity. 🙂
@klempie (Comment 47) :
hahahaha
Good one!!! 😆
@klempie (Comment 47) : yeah if the sharks don’t improve soon, we’ll also be good humoured. 😆
@try time (Comment 24) :
Won’t happen.
anyway – the good news about Steyn’s injury is that there’s no option to move Ruan back to 9 now… we need him to play 10.
McLeod will do fine at scrummie.
I just hope they put Adi at 12 and Swannie at 13
@try time (Comment 49) : 😛
@robdylan (Comment 51) : yeah i like mcloed. he keeps it simple and doesn’t try too much. that is part of rory’s problem is he thinks he can do everything that he forgets he has a backline that could probably do more.
@robdylan (Comment 51) : no need, watching ruan on saturday he judges the situation and skip passes if he feels something is on. you want riaan at 12 to make sure he protects ruan. ruan will skip riaan if he feels adi could make a break.
@try time (Comment 54) : ah – fair enough. Might also make sense to keep the BIG TACKLER at 12.
This could actually be our best backline 🙂
Hope Ruan’s been practising his kicking
Barritt is contracted to the Sharks until the end of the next Super 14 season, but the Sharks have agreed to release him to Saracens on condition that he be allowed by Saracens coaching director Eddie Jones to return to South Africa should the Sharks have an injury crisis during the southern hemisphere competition.
Why did they not use that option then?
@Rahul (Comment 56) : it is probably difficult just to fly in the guy who plays under different set of rules, conditions etc and put him cold in the team that trained together since Feb. methinks
No Batman and Robin to hog the limelight?
How will we manage? 🙄
If the forwards play their part, we will have 4 points this weekend.
@Big Fish (Comment 58) : which one is Batman and which is Robin ❓
@robdylan (Comment 55) : yaaa – but i’d rather have him practising putting adis and jps in space to score trieeeeees
happy happy Rugby Guru 😛
@rekinek (Comment 59) :
Depends who draws the short straw I suppose.
I have always rated Mcleod – lets see if he has the goods.
@Big Fish (Comment 58) : agree with you. Forwards to win the match for a second successive week. Let’s hope Bismarck uses both hands this time.
@Rahul (Comment 56) :
One problem with that is that Eddie Jones isn’t there anymore. 😉
I think the agreement would go beyond Eddie’s stay though.
It would be nice but I doubt it will happen. It would send the wrong signal to the guys in the squad already.
if either one of Murray, Jacobs, Swanepoel or Strauss were not part of the squad then i would have no problem with it, but those are all pretty capable centers.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 64) : Murray is crocked again
@robdylan (Comment 65) : so I can finally remove him from my FL
@robdylan (Comment 65) :
Then I’d hurriedly be checking to see if the documentation was done correctly to allow for the recall of Love child.
@robdylan (Comment 65) : 😯 🙄 😯
@rekinek (Comment 66) : 😆 You had him in your FL team??????????? 😯
I am stuck with Frans Steyn in my squad and I have no trades left. 🙁
Fortunately he is the only player I’ll be missing for the rest of the season.
If the Sharks don’t make the Semi’s then my FL world will implode. Then i will have VERY few players in squad who are actually playing in the play-offs. 😳
@KSA Shark © (Comment 69) : was kinda hoping for waylon to get back and run havoc 😳
i was emotional then national in my choices ie. at the beginning did not chose any Kiwi or Aussie but put few Chiefs now.
@rekinek (Comment 70) :
So if you mostly have Saffas in your team you will be doing the same as me once the play-offs start. PLUMMETING!!!!!!!! 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 71) :
I am sure I remember something about their being an additional 5 player trades made available when the group stages are finished. 🙄 🙄 🙄
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
THUD!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 71) : i am plummeting already – non-sharks are mainly lions
look this game depends on two things, one the referee. if the waugh and mumm are allowed to seal off the ball we will be in for a hard time. two the forwards ability to protect the ball carrier. we failed last year against them twice, we cannot go in un-prepared again.
weehooo we have mark lawrence as ref. ksa had me worried when he joked it would be dickedson.
@try time (Comment 75) : Does that mean Big Phil won’t be able to get away with everything at the breakdown?
no suspension for Daniel?
@klempie (Comment 76) : mark lawrence, like kaplan doesn’t like players sealing off the ball. which is good.
@robdylan (Comment 77) : any tips for SB this weekend, seeing your no1 in our group. 😉
Brad is back!
@JarsonX (Comment 79) :
I have a tip for you.
Pick the Cheetahs, if they manage a win you will be ASSURED of the closest pick point, becasue you will probably be the ONLY one to pick them 😉
I keep getting this bloody message on SB when i try and look at our standings.
SuperBru Error
Sorry, the site is too busy to complete this request right now. Please try again later – apologies for the inconvenience.If you are experiencing a persistent and critical fault, please contact [email protected]. Thanks!
@robdylan (Comment 80) :
😎 Has HE confirmed that for you? 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 83) : no – his “dad”
@robdylan (Comment 84) :
@robdylan (Comment 84) : Off course, you can confirm that yourself
@robdylan (Comment 84) :
Excellent stuff. Bradd and Adi in the back with Ruan feeding them ball could be just the BP combination we need.
“Return of the prodigal Son” would be a good heading for an article on this 😆
@robdylan (Comment 80) : Are you pulling our legs?? 😯
@robdylan (Comment 84) :
So this could all be speculation then, I know YOU WANT him to come back but is he really coming back? 😆