Lions scrumhalf to go under the knife
Cronjé fractured his cheekbone as well as his nose in the 24-28 loss to the Bulls in a warm-up game in Polokwane at the weekend.
He will undergo an operation on Wednesday, February 17, and will be out for four weeks.
Cronje was hugely influential in the Lions' unbeaten run in the 2015 Currie Cup and will be equally crucial to their cause in Super Rugby this year.
However, with former Pumas scrumhalf Francois de Klerk – who has signed a fulltime contract with the Lions after playing for them on loan in last year's Super Rugby competition, will now bring his own livewire brand to the Lions game.
The two scrumhalves differ markedly from each other in approach, but De Klerk will now have to step in from the outset.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann also bemoaned the team's "lack of discipline at the breakdown" in their loss to the Bulls.
Their set pieces were a mixed bag – solid scrums and sloppy line-outs.
Defence is another aspect the coach will be working on as the team steps up preparations for their final pre-season outing – against the Super Rugby newcomers, the Jaguares of Argentina, at the Wits stadium on Friday.
Ackermann feels his team now has a base to work from and know they will have to lift the bar considerably.
