It will still irk John Plumtree that he lost sledgehammer centre Andre Esterhuizen to a nefarious Stormers charge but he will be comforted that a host of stars should be back for this week’s Champions Cup match against Toulouse in Durban.
A pair of Bok bruisers in Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi head the line of players making their way from the Red Cross station to the training field and the Sharks coach could also have back his first-choice flanks, Vincent Tshituka and James Venter.
Esterhuizen was targeted at a ruck by Stormers centre and captain Jean-Luc du Plessis in the big United Rugby Championship derby in Cape Town. Du Plessis not only dived into the ruck from the side but also failed to use his arms.
A Stormers try was cancelled because of the illegal charge but there was no censure against Du Plessis himself.
How he did not get at least a yellow card for injuring a player because of dangerous play is a mystery only the match officials can (or cannot) explain.
The unfortunate bottom line is that the burly Esterhuizen — a vital part of the Sharks’ game plan — has a six-week knee injury.
It was a sorry sight watching Esterhuizen clamber onto the first aid cart where he was joined by Aphelele Fassi. The latter injured an ankle in the same phase of play that Esterhuizen was crocked. An orthopaedic surgeon is assessing the extent of the injury and it is safe to assume Fassi won’t play against Toulouse.
Lock Emile van Heerden was the third Sharks casualty at the Cape Town Stadium and his recovery time from a knee injury is uncertain.
The good news is the likely return of Etzebeth and Mbonambi. The former has one more concussion test to go but Plumtree said he is confident that the mighty lock will pass it after narrowly failing it two weeks ago before the Stormers game.
The coach added that Mbonambi was undergoing an x-ray to confirm his hand injury had healed but that the signs were positive that the Springbok hooker would play against the French.
The coach is further encouraged by the progress made by flankers Tshituka and Venter in recovering from arm injuries. Plumtree said the pair would undergo fitness tests. Tshituka and Venter had been in fine form and it was a double blow for Plumtree when both were injured in the Champions Cup defeat of Exeter.
Plumtree gave an update on the injured Lukhanyo Am who has been sidelined for some time. The coach said the Springbok centre will undergo an x-ray and a functional test to see if he can be considered this week.
“It will be good to get some guys back because injuries have haunted us for a while. And they are not one-to-two-week injuries. They are more six to eight weeks, so it has been stressful for the team,” Plumtree said.