VIDEO: Sharks' World Cup winner out for the season?
INJURY UPDATE: The Sharks may have lost the services of one of their World Cup-winning Springboks for the entire season.
Having started their 2023-24 United Rugby Championship campaign with losses to Munster (21-34), Leinster (13-34), Ospreys (5-19) and Zebre 10-12), the Durban-based franchise is desperate for some international reinforcements.
However, two-time World Cup winner Bongi Mbonambi looks set to spend the entire season on the sidelines.
Coach John Plumtree confirmed that among the 12 players on the injury list are two World Cup winners – Mbonambi (knee) and Vincent Koch (knee).
Mbonambi was injured and left the field after just four minutes in the 12-11 World Cup Final win over New Zealand at Stade de France in Paris last month, while Koch has been struggling with his injury since the pool stages of the tournament.
“Vincent [Koch] will be back after three months,” Plumtree told @rugby365com, adding: “Bongi [Mbonambi] a bit longer.
“It could be the season, unfortunately.”
The Sharks coach said the rest of the World Cup-winning Boks are “good to go”.
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The Boks are on a compulsorily three-week post-World Cup break.
“Eben [Etzebeth] is looking forward to it,” Plumtree said.
“I have left them alone.
“It was really important that they didn’t get a phone call from me.
“They don’t want to hear from me yet, but next week they will be hearing from me.
“We will get them back into training and see where they are at individually.”
Plumtree said their readiness will be measured not just physically, but also emotionally.
“Coming back from a high like that [winning the World Cup], it is going to be difficult.
“They will all be different.
“We will assess them and that will determine how we integrate them.”
Other players who are also unavailable for the Sharks due to injury are Curwin Bosch (concussion), Eduan Keyter (knee), Francois Hougaard (knee), Kerron van Vuuren (knee), Le Roux Roets (knee), Muller du Plessis (knee), Nevaldo Fleurs (knee), Reniel Hugo (shoulder) and Vincent Tshituka (chest wall).
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