Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will be sidelined for weeks after undergoing knee surgery, ruling him out of Saturday’s clash for the Sharks against his former span, the Stormers.
The 32-year-old double world champion, who last played off the bench in the Champions Cup on January 13, faces an extended absence.
Sharks coach John Plumtree in a press conference on Tuesday expressed frustration over his team’s injuries this season, especially highlighting the challenge of assembling his beste pack.
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However, hooker Bongi Mbonambi is set to return after his knee operation for the Bok’s first game of the 2023 - 2024 campaign.
Plumtree says: “It’s a long season and I feel like I’ve been handicapped by the fact that I’ve had a lot of injuries … it’s Bongi’s first game coming up and he’s our No.1 hooker.
“Eben Etzebeth has started playing and now had a knee operation so he’ll only be back in a few weeks.
“So it’s been a bit frustrating for me that I haven’t been able to put out the kind of pack I’ve wanted to. If I put out the pack that I’ve wanted to, it makes the bench a lot stronger, with fresh legs coming off the bench after 60 minutes.”
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On the mandatory resting of Boks and injuries, Plum acknowledges the importance of player management, but adds: “Until the players are committed to one hemisphere there’ll be a lot of disruption [in the interim], and hopefully that will hap- pen over the next couple of years.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za
Voice Sports Team