Sharks lose Dan du Preez for at least a month, Kings facing injury crisis

Published Feb 20, 2018

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DURBAN – Sharks eighthman Daniel du Preez is likely to be out of action for at least one month after he picked up a shoulder injury in the clash against the Lions at Emirates Airline Park last Saturday.

He left the field just before halftime with a suspected shoulder injury and was sent for scans which confirmed that he has a shoulder ligament tear.

Sharks team doctor Alan Kourie said he will be conservatively managed for four weeks.

Scrumhalf Cameron Wright suffered a concussion and his return to training will be subject to him passing the graduated return to play protocol.

Replacement hooker Akker van der Merwe had to leave the field in the last minute of the match with a mild elbow strain, but the good news is that he has recovered well and has already joined the training sessions.

More good news is that scrumhalf Louis Schreuder is on track to join training next week followed by loose forward Jean-Luc du Preez, who is set to return to action in March.

The Sharks have a competition bye this week and will return to Super Rugby action next Saturday (3rd March) when they play the Waratahs at Kings Park Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Southern Kings medical team under docter Clement Plaatjies found themselves rather busy in the wake of their 26-12 defeat to Ospreys last weekend.

In several cases they had to deal with bumps and bruises but there was some unfortunate news for centre Harlon Klaasen.

"Harlon suffered a hamstring injury and will be unable to play for a while. A decision has been made to send him back to South Africa. Jacques Nel will be flying in as a replacement," Dr Plaatjies said.

Scrumhalf Rowan Gouws had concerns about his ankle but, other than a little stiffness, appears to be in good shape and should be available for selection against Leinster this week. 

Similarly, Stephan Coetzee, who dislocated a finger after coming onto the field as a replacement against Ospreys, is on the mend.

Dr Plaatjies also reported that prop Dayan van der Westhuizen, who was sidelined because of an ankle injury, had responded well to treatment and should be fit for the Leinster clash.

Loosehead prop Schalk Ferreira, meanwhile, was suffering from some stiffness in his neck as well as bruising of the ribs which limited his training.

Fullback Masixole Banda who suffered a rotator cuff contusion is making progress and will be in the selection mix.

Man-of-the-match against Ospreys Andisa Ntsila was the only other concern for the Kings medical team.

"He went into the match with a tight quad and it seemed to flare up during the game but I think that’s just testament to the tough performance he put in. He has responded well to treatment and will definitely be ready for Friday," Dr Plaatjies said.

The Southern Kings face Leinster at the RDS Arena in Dublin on Friday (kick-off is at 21h35 SA time).

African News Agency (ANA)

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