Cape Town – They won the Battle of Buenos Aires, but the Stormers are counting the cost of that victory as star fullback Cheslin Kolbe was “knocked out cold” in the final stages of the 13-8 win over the Jaguares and is in doubt for the Sunwolves game.
And even worse news from coach Robbie Fleck on Sunday is the fact that wing Dillyn Leyds has been ruled out for the season.
Leyds picked up a knee injury at last Tuesday’s practice, but the knock didn’t seem too serious at the time, although he didn’t travel to Argentina.
However, the scans showed that Leyds had torn an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which normally sidelines players for around nine months. The utility back had been an influential member of the Stormers back-three in the opening four weeks of Super Rugby, and it is a huge blow to lose him so early in the competition.
Just when it couldn’t get any worse on the injury front, it did, as scrumhalf Jano Vermaak – who was expected to be out for around six weeks with a neck problem – had an operation and won’t be available for between three and four months instead.
Fleck could face a fullback crisis for the clash against Japanese side Sunwolves at Newlands on April 8 – the Stormers have a bye this weekend – as Leyds was the back-up at No 15 to Kolbe.
“Chessie got knocked out cold, so we are going to have to check him out later in the week. Fortunately we have a bye with that, but he was in a bad way when he left the field. Cheslin is actually feeling good at the moment. He passed his test late last night, but he was knocked out at the very end there, in that last tackle. But the fact that he passed his test is a good sign late last night. We will assess him again when we get back to Cape Town,” Fleck said from Buenos Aires on Sunday.
“It is too early to say (if Kolbe is definitely out of the Sunwolves game). He got knocked out, and with the new World Rugby regulations around concussion, I can only really give you an answer on Tuesday.”
Fleck wasn’t sure if the Stormers were going to sign another fullback from outside the squad as he is hoping that youngster EW Viljoen is fully recovered. One possible option is to move flyhalf Kurt Coleman to the back as a stop-gap measure – he has played there for WP in the Vodacom Cup – while a left-field option could be Louis Schreuder, who has all the attributes to fill in at No 15 if required.s
“We will have to dig deep now and look at our greater squad. We have EW Viljoen coming back from injury. We are stretched a bit at fullback, so we’ve got to look at what we’ve got.
“I will chat to Gert Smal, the director of rugby, to look at what we’ve got, and if the situation means that we have to juggle a bit, then we will do that. We will back the squad that we’ve got, and unfortunately we’ve been hit hard by injuries,” Fleck said.
“And these are injuries that have not happened during the season – it happened in pre-season or last year, and that has put us under pressure. If you think about it, EW Viljoen broke his foot during the Under-21 competition, Ryno Eksteen (another possible solution at No 15) in the pre-season, so we will reassess the situation when we get back to Cape Town and make a decision from there.”
But there was some light at the end of the tunnel for Fleck and the Stormers as Springbok centre Damian de Allende will be back on the field a week earlier than expected.
De Allende picked up an ankle injury while on club duty in Japan, and was expected to return for the Lions match on April 16. But Fleck said he is training with the WP Currie Cup squad and will be “ready to go” against the Sunwolves.
Also, utility loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt is over his groin injury and can be considered against the Japanese outfit.
@IndyCapeSport