VIDEO: Stormers star's season could be over
The maxim says: ‘Adding insult to injury’. For the Stormers, it was more a case of adding injury to insult.
The price they paid for their heroics against two-time defending European Cup champions Stade Rochelais has been costly.
Two key players suffered knee injuries and three others suffered concussion.
The French giants fought back from 0-13 down at half-time to defeat the Stormers 22-21 in an extraordinary Champions Cup Round of 16 match.
In their pool stage encounter in December, the South African team defeated Stade Rochelais on the same ground by a score of 21-20 – with flyhalf Manie Libbok slotting a clutch conversion for the winner.
On Saturday in their Round of 16 face-off the Stormers nearly produced the same outcome – only this time Libbok’s last-minute conversion – which would have given his side another heroic win – drifted well wide of the uprights in a strong and swirling wind.
It saw Stade Rochelais advance to the quarterfinal, as they continue their search for a third straight title.
For the Stormers, there was some concerning news.
Utility forward Deon Fourie suffered a “serious” knee injury.
He was taken from the field on a mobile stretcher in the 39th minute – with his replacement, Marcel Theunissen, yellow-carded in the 59th minute.
Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson said it is not the more serious anterior cruciate ligament injury, but confirmed to @rugby365com that it is “serious”.
(WATCH as Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson gives the kind of injury update no team wants….)
“It could be the [end of his] season,” the Stormers boss added.
Wing Leolin Zas also has a ‘reasonably serious’ knee injury, but still has to go for a scan.
Speaking about the three concussion cases – utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon, lock and captain Salmaan Moerat, as well as replacement loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani – Dobson said they will follow protocol.
Given this usually results in a two-week lay-off, all three are in doubt for the United Rugby Championship Round 14 outing against Ospreys in Cape Town in a fortnight.
The Stormers – fifth on a congested table, with just five points between the Cape Town franchise and the Lions in 11th place – Ospreys and Leinster in the next two rounds.
Then they hit the road – facing the Dragons and Connacht away – before hosting the Lions in a potentially decisive final round of league action.
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