Blow: Lock Eben Etzebeth, centre.Picture: Steve Haag Sports/INPHO/Shutters
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 team, 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 best pack.
Sharks coach John Plumtree has revealed that Eben Etzebeth has undergone knee surgery, which is expected to sideline the Springbok enforcer for several weeks. https://t.co/3mFLHOBVBa
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) February 13, 2024
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.”
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 happen over the next couple of years.”
🗣️ “Eben Etzebeth has started playing and now had a knee operation so he’ll only be back in a few weeks."
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) February 14, 2024
🦈 It is not good news for the Springboks second-row. 👇https://t.co/Q077qOHZYs
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Voice Sports Team