The pain just won’t stop for the Stormers, as more of their World Cup-winning Springboks have been hit by serious injury.
On Tuesday, the Super Rugby team, who dress as Marvel hero Thor, were hit by the hammer blow of star prop Steven Kitshoff and scrumhalf Hershel Jantjies being ruled out for months.
They join long-term absentees, Bok skipper Siya Kolisi, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit.
During last weekend’s loss to the Sharks, Kitshoff tore his pectoral muscle and will need surgery and a four-month recovery period before returning to action.
Scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies fractured his fibula (shin) and is expected to be out for three months.
SIDELINED: Steven Kitshofff. Picture: BackpagePix.
Lock JD Schickerling, meanwhile, will be out for a month with a torn arm muscle.
In a shocking revelation, there was some good news for the Stormers that Bok flanker Du Toit had actually had a lucky escape, as his mysterious thigh injury could have ended his career prematurely.
Instead, he is facing just three months out before his expected return.
Team doctor, Jason Suter, who addressed the media with coach John Dobson, explains: “He had a medical emergency after the Blues game.
“He had a haematoma that developed into an acute compartment syndrome.
“It’s incredibly rare - there have been only 43 [cases] listed [worldwide].”
Coach John Dobson praised his medic, saying: “Doc deserves enormous credit for Pieter-Steph.
“Had a rugby player lost his leg it would have been devastating for the game.
“And if it wasn’t for the timely intervention then I think [he could have lost his leg]... almost half of the 43 reported cases had resulted in that.”
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperRugby?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperRugby⛈ @VodacomRugga #TacklingCancer pic.twitter.com/fkwkF7DLhq
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Dobson added that losing five of his six World Cup winners was “freakish”
He says: “It’s just something that you can’t explain. We had six guys who played in the World Cup final - five are now out on long-term injuries.
“It’s really freakish.
LUCKY: Pieter-Steph du Toit. Picture: BackpagePix.
Strangely, with the Covid-19 crisis suspending Super Rugby, Kolisi could see some action, as he is expected back in four weeks.
Mbonambi, though, is still four to five months away with a hamstring tear.