Injuries
The Lions medical staff have released an injury update, following the Vodacom Super Rugby outfit’s 23-20 victory over the Reds at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.
Waratahs fullback, Israel Folau, will be unable to add to his remarkable season tally of eight tries this weekend after being ruled out of the Super Rugby clash against the Sharks with a bruised throat.
After eight scores in his first four matches, it looked like only injury could prevent Folau from breaking the single season Super Rugby record of 15, which is jointly held by Joe Roff (1997) and Rico Gear (2005).
Lions coach Johan Ackermann will be enjoying the fact his team has a bye this week but you could almost hear the relief in his voice when he said “the bye couldn’t come at a better time.”
According to reports, Ackermann’s team have surprised all in the competition with their four wins in six games thus far and their fourth spot on the Vodacom Super Rugby log, and while many don’t expect them to be there when the competition reaches its business end, for now the Lions are simply enjoying themselves.
They know they got the rub of the green with refereeing decisions in the last two games, but the luck they created for themselves also plays a major part in the self-belief of a team that everyone has written off thus far this season.
Saturday’s game against the Reds was a special win for Ackermann and his sidekick Swys de Bruin.
The Cell C Sharks half-back pairing of Pat Lambie and Cobus Reinach will not feature in the near future of the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament after sustaining injuries against the Bulls on Saturday night.
DHL Stormers hooker Tiaan Liebenberg has also flown home from his team’s Vodacom Super Rugby tour of Australia, joining Schalk Burger who returned to Cape Town on Sunday.
Vodacom Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe’s hamstring strain will keep him out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Chiefs at Loftus Versfeld, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.
Reds flank Liam Gill and fullback Aidan Toua were injured in the loss to the Lions in Johannesburg.
Both players had to be replaced during the match, with Toua injuring his chest after being tackled just short of the line early in the first half and Gill injuring his hamstring in a ruck in the second half.
Israel Folau is doubtful for the Waratahs’ South African tour after taking a knock to the throat in their victory over the Rebels.
The star fullback stayed behind in Australia to see a specialist, and although coach Michael Cheika had initially been confident that he would recover in time, there are now fears that he will not make it.
Vodacom Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe has been ruled out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Cell C Sharks due to a hamstring strain.
His place in the team will be taken by Paul Willemse, who will move from the bench into the number four jersey. The captaincy will be taken over by Victor Matfield.
The return of uncompromising All Black lock Brad Thorn has boosted the Highlanders ahead of their Super Rugby clash with the Hurricanes in Dunedin.
Thorn is back from a rib injury to start at lock in place of fellow All Black Jarrad Hoeata.
The Reds’ hopes of grabbing a win while in South Africa were dealt a blow as two players left for home with injuries, one of them serious.
Lock Eben Etzebeth, who is sidelined with an ankle injury, should be ready to play for the Springboks in June.
The 22-year-old said he is hoping to return to action when the Stormers tackle the Sharks in Durban on 31 May. That would be the Cape side’s third last Super Rugby league match.
Lions centre Dylan des Fountain has been forced to retire from professional rugby due to a knee injury.
The Brumbies injury list continues to grow with coach Stephen Larkham ruling out Wallaby prop Scott Sio and lock Leon Power for Saturdays match up with the Stormers.
The Cheetahs’ tour troubles deepened on Monday when it was confirmed that another injured player will return home.
Backline coach Hawies Fourie told this website, in an interview from the team’s training base in Auckland, that burly centre Francois Venter will return to Bloemfontein.
Cheetahs prop Coenie Oosthuizen has received good news after seeing a specialist over his injured neck.
Chiefs centre Robbie Fruean will undergo a third heart procedure and be sidelined from Super Rugby for up to eight weeks.
The 25-year-old, who has come close to All Blacks selection in recent seasons, underwent open heart surgery in 2009 after a bout of rheumatic fever caused pancarditis, or inflammation of the heart.
The Brumbies were left counting the cost of their impressive 28-23 win over the Waratahs in an all-Australian Super Rugby derby at the weekend.
Wing Henry Speight is facing six weeks on the sideline with a fractured jaw and lock Leon Power is also in doubt of being a long-term absenmtee after injuring his knee.
Wales captain Sam Warburton is set to miss the rest of the European season and the tour of South Africa after suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder injury against Scotland.
Back-row forward Warburton completed Wales’ record 51-3 rout of Scotland in their Six Nations finale at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
De Kock Steenkamp has become the Stormers latest casualty, as the struggling team’s second row resources are stretched to the limit.
Steenkamp suffered groin injury in his team’s 20-36 loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday – a result that saw the men from Cape Town drop to second from last on the standings, just above the winless Hurricanes.
Highlanders’ wing Buxton Popoali’i has announced his retirement from all rugby.
The popular Highlanders and Otago wing has recently undergone heart surgery to fix a heart valve.
Pieter-Steph du Toit underwent a scan to his knee yesterday with the disappointing news that he sustained an ACL injury and will be out for the remainder of the year.
The Sharks were dealt a cruel blow in the build-up top their Super Rugby encounter with the Reds on Saturday.
Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit has been ruled out of the Round Five clash, following a training ground mishap on Thursday.
The Cell C Sharks will lose one player but are expected to get back another one or even two for this Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Reds at Growthpoint KINGS PARK.
The DHL Stormers side has suffered some injuries whilst on tour, with Scarra Ntubeni and Patrick Cilliers sent back to South Africa.
As a result, the Stormers are looking for suitable replacements to join them on tour.
In addition they have tried to obtain the services of Griquas hooker on loan, Martin Bezuidenhot, which have apparently been unuccessful.
Wales coach Warren Gatland has revealed that his star fullback Leigh Halfpenny will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his shoulder in the 29-18 loss to England at Twickenham.
Former All Black Brad Thorn has a chance of returning to Super Rugby this weekend and playing for the Highlanders against the Western Force.
The thirty-nine-year-old damaged some cartilage playing for the Highlanders in their season opening match against the Blues.
Blues hooker Keven Mealamu has been forced to return home early from South Africa with a calf injury that is likely to cause Steve Hansen some concern as the All Blacks coach finalises his planning for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The veteran forward has battled calf injuries for the last three seasons and sustained another strain to his left leg ahead of the Super Rugby match against the Bulls in Pretoria last week.
The Vodacom Bulls on Friday confirmed that prop Frik Kirsten has been ruled out of rugby for the remainder of the Vodacom Super Rugby season.
Gloucester No 8 Ben Morgan was the one injury-enforced change to England’s starting line-up announced by coach Stuart Lancaster on Friday for their Six Nations international against Wales at Twickenham this weekend.
Morgan replaces Billy Vunipola, the man he came on for during England’s 13-10 win over Ireland at Twickenham last time out, after his fellow back-row forward was ruled out of the final two rounds of the Six Nations with an ankle injury.
Two of South Africa’s recent members who toured with the Springboks to the Northern Hemisphere, Frik Kirsten (tighthead prop) of the Vodacom Bulls and Coenie Oosthuizen (tighthead & loosehead prop) of the Toyota Cheetahs both have serious neck injuries.
Frik Kirsten might have to undergo neck surgery but we await news of the second opinion sought to clarify the matter. It is most likely the case that he will be out of the remainder of the Super Rugby season.
Coenie Oosthuizen was sent back to South Africa from the Cheetahs tour down under and it is also likely that he will be out for a lenghty spell.
Wallabies flanker David Pocock will miss the rest of the Super Rugby after undergoing left knee surgery on Wednesday for the second time in a year.
The Toyota Cheetahs are sweating over the availability of prop Coenie Oosthuizen ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Reds in Brisbane on Friday.
The Springbok is struggling with a neck injury and will go for a scan in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Scotland were boosted by the availability of stalwart tight head prop Euan Murray for this Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations encounter against France at Murrayfield.
Murray has yet to feature in the tournament this year due to an injured thumb.
Meanwhile, France hooker Dimitri Szarzewski has become the latest in a long list of French players who will be unable to play in the match. He misses out due to an ankle injury.
This means that France will fielding their third choice hooker on Saturday.
Richie McCaw faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines after breaking his thumb in the Crusaders’ defeat to the Blues at Eden Park on Friday.