CAPE TOWN - Stormers wing Leolin Zas will not be able to run with a rugby ball for a year, but he says the support of his “girlfriend, the fans and his teammates” will help him deal with the disappointment.
Zas underwent a successful surgery on a broken leg on Monday, after fracturing both his tibia and fibula in a pre-season game against the Lions on Saturday.
“It has obviously been a difficult experience, but the operation was a success and with the support of my family, my girlfriend. Micaela Flusk, my teammates and our fans, I am confident I can come back stronger,” Zas said.
Zas, who recently returned from an unrelated leg injury, came on as a replacement in the Stormers’ 57-40 victory of the Lions at Newlands, and is expected to be out for approximately a year.
The other Stormers casualty on the day was centre and last year’s co-captain Juan de Jongh, who tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and will spend 10-12 weeks on the sidelines.
The injury to Zas, has underlined the importance of the Stormers signing Sevens go-to man Seabelo Senatla.
The World Sevens Player of the Year has committed to Robbie Fleck’s team, and will be a significant boost for the union, while Werner Kok and Dillyn Leyds will also be on the Stormers’ backline roster.
Then there is new signing and former Bulls man Bjorn Basson, who can also be an option on the wing.
Senatla, who was given a “mental break” from rugby by Fleck, has returned to South Africa since the Blitzboks’ triumph in Sydney, will be available for the season-opener against the Bulls at Newlands.
In midfield Fleck will have Damian de Allende, fit-again Dan du Plessis and Scottish international Huw Jones, while EW Viljoen has also produced promising performances for the Stormers.
And although the options that the Stormers have at wing and centre are more than competent, it doesn’t mean that the loss of Zas, and for a shorter period De Jongh, is any less of a setback.
But seeing that Zas is so positive, there’s no reason for the Newlands faithful to be get all gloomy. After all, he did say he was going to come back stronger.