Durban: Patrick Lambie will make his comeback against the Hurricanes in Saturday’s Super Rugby match at Kings Park, and while it will almost certainly be off the bench, his inclusion will be a massive shot in the arm for the Durban team’s long-term ambitions in the tournament.
Lambie, the appointed captain for the season, injured shoulder ligaments in the pre-season tour to France and has not played since, but he says he is “fit and hungry to play just as soon as selected.”
But he worries that the next fortnight of matches against the Hurricanes and Jaguares (away) could be make or break games for his team’s title ambitions.
The 25-year-old is likely to make a second-half appearance (for Garth April) this weekend in his first action since the World Cup in England last year, barring his 20 minutes against Toulon.
“It was extremely disappointing to yet again suffer injury early in the season (the year before he injured his bicep) but the rehab has been done and I am 100 percent ready to play,” Lambie said.
“I have been taking contact for the last two weeks in training against the Currie Cup team and before that was doing everything but take contact. So I am in the starting blocks.”
While he has been recovering from injury over the 10 rounds of the competition, Lambie would have seen Joe Pietersen do a holding job at No 10 and then, over the last fortnight, Garth April play enterprisingly against the Highlanders and the Chiefs.
The Sharks beat the Dunedin team and almost beat the Chiefs, going down 24-22.
April is likely to start against the Hurricanes on Saturday, with Lambie playing off the bench.
“I cannot comment on my role this week, if indeed I do play,” Lambie said. “But it is fair to say that we have a crucial fortnight in front of us. We have a vital home game against the Hurricanes, and we need to win that, just as we need to win next week’s match against the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.” - Cape Times