The Sharks revealed a shock double-injury blow at their Tuesday press conference, with Jacques Botes likely to join Jean Deysel on the sidelines for up to a month.
Deysel was duly confirmed out for anything up to a month, as the result of an ankle injury sustained in the first quarter of Saturday’s match. He will go for a further scan on Thursday to confirm the prognosis, but for now it’s clear he certainly won’t feature against the Brumbies this weekend.
Botes has apparently sustained a cracked wrist and will probably also miss out on the next four weeks of action.
That brings the Sharks’ loose-forward injury tally to four, with Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel both confirmed as pre-season casualties.
The faint light at the end of this tunnel, though, comes in the form of a very slight chance that Daniel may make an unexpected return to the side this weekend.
More on this as it develops.
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That is a problem.
The only two loosies we have who actually manage to compete at the breakdown out of action.
And one mister George Smith waiting for us next week.
Keegan!!! I probably shouldnt get excited yet…
Oh no. Keegs, Deysel, Botes, Bissie and Tim. All players that battle at the breakdown. Add Alberts for the go-forward and things look a bit gloomy. Hope Tera is ready to step up.
I reckon if all those players stay injured, then we will see Pieter-Steph du Toit at blindside, with Marcel at 6 and Kanko at 8. Jandre covering lock from the bench and Tera covering loose forwards.
Marcel to openside, Steph to blindside and Kanko at 8thman, Juandre and Tera to the bench
I read in the SA rugby magazine that pieter steph wants to only play lock now all this moving him out of position? We will loose him to another union if plum don’t manage him properly. Gonna need someone to win us some ball at the breakdown. Should tell coetzee that’s his job for this game and let mtembu and kankowski run at them
Damn and blast. They shouldn’t mess with Piet-Steph, keep him on the bench. Tera should be given the chance in the Shark Tank.
gonna be tough against George Smith with lack of fetchers
Sharks have confirmed via Twitter that Keegan is looking good to play on Sat
Not good news! 😯
O how awesome it would be if Keegan is back. Hope he takes the captaincy back immidiatly. Frans suprised me as captain but he is no Keegan.
@KingRiaan (Comment 11) :
Remember what everybody said about Keegan as captain last year this time after he LOST 3 games in a row…..Just saying!
@Pokkel (Comment 12) : ha…. if you want consistency, this isn’t the site for you
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
Well I never…….