Durban - Baby steps it may be, but for the Sharks’ baby-faced star flyhalf a return to the gym this week after months of concussion confusion is great news for everyone involved. A report from the Sharks doctor, Alan Kourie, states that Lambie will be eased back into field training over the next few weeks after it was discovered his long lasting concussion-like symptoms were not actually concussion related.
The flyhalf, in the first Springbok game of the year at Newlands against the Irish, took the full brunt of former Bulls flank CJ Stander’s hip to his face. Expectedly, a concussion resulted, but unexpectedly, the ‘concussion’ showed no signs of abating nine weeks down the line.
Kourie, after much research and consultation, concluded that the headaches Lambie was suffering were no longer symptoms of the concussion, but rather a form of post concussion syndrome. It was fantastic news for everyone, especially Lambie who under the concussion protocols was not allowed to do anything - no contact, no running, no gym, not even TV or reading.
Lambie has now been following a different return to play protocol, known as the Buffalo protocol, and his step into the gym is a big one.
In other injury, and recovery, news, flanker Daniel du Preez is recovering well from his groin surgery and is expected back in two or three weeks. Brother Jean-Luc should be back in action this week after having an abscess on his tooth sorted last week.
Jean-Luc’s return is a timeous one as things do not look great for Tera Mtembu who seems to have done some real damage to his left knee against Boland, the same knee that has kept him out of action for the entire last season. Mtembu still needs to undergo scans, but will definitely not be considered for this week against the Bulls at Kings Park.
Michael Claassens is another who will not be considered this week as he has a knee sprain of his own to deal with.
Independent Media