Stormers director of rugby John Dobson says veteran loose forward Deon Fourie could be sidelined for several months.
The 39-year-old suffered a serious knee injury after being caught in a croc roll at a breakdown by Ulster lock Iain Henderson during the 38-38 draw in Belfast and returned to Cape Town for scans.
“It’s a grade two or three medial, which is months,” Dobson said. “It’s not like an ACL and nine months, but it could be three months.”
TEAM: Stormers rejig backline for Cardiff clash
The Stormers have made several changes for Friday night’s Vodacom URC clash against Cardiff at the Arms Park.
Dobson said centre Ruhan Nel was close to selection but that the risk of aggravating his calf injury ahead of the playoffs was too great.
“Ruhan is a pity. We hoped to have him ready for this game, but if it’s not 100%, if it goes again, he’s out for a long time,” Dobson explained, adding he was “probably at 90%”.
The Stormers are using the Cardiff fixture to build squad depth and give some players – including centre Jonathan Roche and wing Suleiman Hartzenberg – much-needed game time.
“We think Johnny is special, he just needs a run,” said Dobson. “It’s our last opportunity before the playoffs to give Johnny a go. We made a commitment to him weeks ago that he would play this game.
“And we want to give Suleiman another chance to see if that can be a solution for us on the wing.”
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The Stormers are boosted by the return of Bok lock Salmaan Moerat to the match 23.
“Moerat coming back improves us,” said Dobson. “That’s more than building capacity, that’s building infrastructure.”
The Stormers head into the final round of the league stage looking to cement a top-two finish, while seventh-placed Cardiff must win to reach the URC playoffs for the first time.
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Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images
