Cape Town - Currently out of the Currie Cup semi-final places after losing two of their four matches so far and missing several Springboks, the Lions now have to soldier on without key wing Courtnal Skosan.
The try-machine injured his groin against the Blue Bulls on Friday and will be out of action for the rest of the season. He joins Ruan Dreyer and Harold Vorster on the sidelines, while no less than nine other players have been, or will be, involved with the Boks for the bulk of the Currie Cup competition.
The Lions are struggling to make the play-offs at the halfway point of the competition having lost to the Griquas and the Bulls. Their remaining games are against Western Province (home, this Friday), Cheetahs (away), EP Kings (home) and Sharks (away).
Also possibly sidelined this week is lock Martin Muller, who has a sternum injury.
Coach Johan Ackermann will name his team today.
One could clearly see that Western Province coach John Dobson felt immense sympathy for Scarra Ntubeni when he spoke about the hooker’s lengthy injury lay-off at a press conference in Bellville yesterday.
This Currie Cup season would have been Ntubeni’s chance to get back to his best after trying to find his feet after a continuous calf strain ruined his 2015 Super Rugby season and limited his participation this year.
But his latest injury, a torn achilles tendon that he suffered in Province’s 34-27 victory over the Sharks at the weekend, will keep him out of action, not only for the remainder of the Currie Cup season, but also next year’s Super Rugby competition.
“It’s a devastating injury for Scarra. It’s very painful and it’s very hard to rehab. And at his age it’s a tough one to come back from. I’m really, really sad about this.
“I went to go visit him yesterday. It’s really one of the worst injuries I have come across. Not in terms of the actual injury, but in terms of what it means to Scarra,” Dobson said.
Ntubeni will be ruled out for six to nine months.
“He just said yesterday he was feeling so good about everything. And he came to us last week and said he was reorganising some things in his life because he really realises there is bigger opportunity in rugby and he wants to be a Springbok. He didn’t want to end his career folding his blazer over his shoulder. So it’s devastating.
“It’s such a horrible injury because he is such a good man and a good person and really good for the team. He is a quality individual. It’s so sad.”
And Ntubeni isn’t the only man Province will be without for the near future.
Loosehead prop Oli Kebble (hip flexor) is only expected to return shortly before the end of the season, while loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe will not feature for WP for the next three to four weeks after partially tearing his syndesmosis (ankle ligament) at Newlands on Saturday.
Dobson also confirmed that centre Huw Jones will not be available for their clash against the Lions after being ruled out of their match against the Sharks with a hamstring injury.
With Ntubeni out, Bongi Mbonambi with the Springboks for the Rugby Championship and Chad Solomon nursing an ankle injury, Province are hunting a hooker as they are all out of resources at No 2.
But Dobson assured fans yesterday that Province have already started looking for a replacement.
“As regards to hooker, we have got a plan there, but it’s just a little bit of paperwork that needs sorting out.
“It’s somebody who is part of our family, who has played a lot for us recently. I don’t want to say anything because it still has to be agreed.
Additional reorting by Jacques van der Westhuyzen
Cape Argus