OUT OF LOCK

SALMAAN Moerat could be out for months after Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus revealed the Stormers captain injured his knee during training with his Kaapse span.

According to Erasmus, Moerat was pencilled in to play for Western Province in this weekend’s Currie Cup Premier Division match against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

Erasmus was giving an update on his Bok team’s squad depth ahead of their opening game of  the Rugby Championship, when he let slip of Moerat’s injury: “We’ve cut the squad a little bit, but when we have meetings we still got guys like Jaden [Hendrikse], Faf [de Klerk], Mapiemps (Makazole Mapimpi) [joining] virtually. Salmaan, unfortunately, got injured last week. He would have played this week [for Province in the Currie Cup].”

Stormers management also confirmed Moerat’s injury to the Daily Voice in a text message.

And in Tuesday's WP press conference ahead of the Cheetahs game, assistant coach Dewaldt Duvenage said of not knowing how serious the Bok lock’s knee blow is: “I do know he got an injury during training [with the Stormers], but I don’t really have an update on that.

“Unfortunately, I think he will be out for the Springboks at the moment.”

It is the third time that the Stormers captain has gone down with a knee ailment, with the first coming in 2022 when he tore ligaments in a Champions Cup game against London Irish, sidelining the lock for close to a year.

A torn chest muscle suffered in the opening game of the 2023-24 United Rugby Championship against the Lions sidelined Moerat for five months.

Last year, Moerat was also sent for a minor knee operation that ruled him out of the Boks’ end-of-year tour and also saw him miss the start of his Stormers’ 2024-25 URC campaign.

Meanwhile Moerat’s knee issue is not the only one that is giving WP and Stormers management slapelose nagte.

WP captain Zain Davids also suffered a knee blow in the 47-17 loss to Griquas last week.

However, Duvenage, said they are still hopeful the Blitzbok yster will recover to play further part in this season’s Currie Cup Premier Division.