A Stormers forward is set to be sidelined for six months due to an injury which requires surgery.
Netwerk24 reports that captain Salmaan Moerat is set to undergo surgery after tearing ligaments in his big toe.
He suffered the injury moments after coming on in the 30-19 defeat to the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium and was yellow-carded moments later for his team’s repeated fouls.
He is likely to be out of action for several months and is his chances of competing for Springbok selection for the Nations Championship matches against England, Scotland and Wales in July is now in serious doubt.
The news of Moerat’s injury will not have gone down well in the Stormers camp who have previously pointed a finger at the poor state of the Cape Town Stadium pitch as being responsible for a number of injuries – including the dreaded turn toe.
Turf toe occurs when the big toe hyperextends, often due to synthetic or the poor condition of playing surfaces.
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The Stormers confirmed earlier this week that Adre Smith is training again her he split open his knee against the Vodacom Bulls on 3 January and then developed an infection of the wound which required hospitalisation.
At the time, Stormers coach John Dobson did not hold back when he said the poor condition of the field at the world-class venue had directly contributed to a growing list of serious injuries.
“Adre sustained quite a serious injury on that pitch, which was a source of enormous frustration to us,” Dobson said. “He landed on a bare patch, split his knee open and it got infected. The doctors have put it directly down to the condition of the field.”
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Dobson revealed Smith had to have been hospitalised for several days with an infection.
The Stormers coach further highlighted an increase in turf toe and abrasion-related injuries due to the hybrid pitch.
“We were promised a world-class pitch, and we don’t have one,” Dobson said at the time. “We’ve seen turf toe injuries, abrasions, infections and even an increased risk of concussion on an unpadded surface. Player safety is the biggest concern.”
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That was also not the first time the Stormers have expressed their frustration at the state of the field. Shortly before Christmas and ahead of a URC clash against the Lions, the Stormers were left dismayed at the brown and bare surface following an international World Supercross GP event a week earlier.
At the time, Cape Town Stadium chief operating officer Louw Visagie defended the pitch, saying it was fit for purpose and met World Rugby standards.
Photo: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images
