Stormers Boks should be ready for World Cup

The DHL Stormers injury situation went from dire to desperate when it was learned that Damian Willemse and Sikhumbuzo Notshe had joined the list of walking wounded but all the Springboks who have been ruled out of the remainder of the Super Rugby season should be okay for the World Cup.

Eben Etzebeth was of course the headline injury the day after the Stormers lost 41-22 to the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg last week. A scan was pending when coach Robbie Fleck spoke to the media immediately after the game but the prognosis then was six to 12 weeks that the influential lock would be ruled out for.

It is probably good news then that it will be the former time period that Etzebeth faces on the sidelines. It means he should be back in training again in the second half of July and could be ready to play a role in the Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign as they finish the final phase of their onfield build-up to the World Cup in Japan.

Willemse, who has been excellent at fullback for the Stormers this season and looks the probable back-up for Willie le Roux in the World Cup squad, injured his knee against the Lions.

“Damian is going to have to undergo an operation and is expected to be out for a month. He should be fine for the World Cup but he is getting a second opinion as we speak,” said coach Robbie Fleck after naming his team for the penultimate Super Rugby league game against the Sunwolves.

“Notshe is also out. He injured his ankle against the Lions. He will be out for four to six weeks. Hopefully that should mean both will be back for the World Cup. He is on crutches at the moment.”

Of course Etzebeth, Willemse and Notshe join two key Springboks who were already sidelined in the form of Pieter-Steph du Toit and skipper Siya Kolisi. The former could conceivably be back in the play-off phase should the Stormers make it that far but Kolisi is also looking at a mid-July return to training.

That means that the Bok medical staff have plenty of players to assess and monitor over the next few weeks as we near the start of the World Cup preparation phase. Ideally coach Rassie Erasmus would want all hands on deck throughout the build-up so he will be eager for the Stormers injured brigade to recover quickly.

Seabelo Senatla, who may just have started to nudge Erasmus’ consciousness with his performance against the Highlanders two weeks ago, is also out this weekend after suffering concussion against the Lions. He is expected back next week when the Stormers complete their league campaign against the Sharks at Newlands.

On the positive side of the balance sheet Bongi Mbonambi, the Springbok back-up for Malcolm Marx at hooker, is back in the Stormers team and will play against the Sunwolves after missing out since the draw with the Crusaders. Ruhan Nel, who was part of the Springbok squad last year but did not play, is expected to be available for next week’s game, while lock JD Schickerling, who toured with the Boks at the end of last year, will be ready to play should the Stormers reach the play-offs.