Will Malherbe be ready to face England?
INJURY UPDATE: Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson provided an injury update on Springbok tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, who has been sidelined for nearly a year.
Malherbe’s last appearance in Stormers colours came during the 2024/25 United Rugby Championship campaign against Scarlets in Llanelli on March 22, where he did duty off the bench.
Ahead of the Stormers’ URC clash against Connacht last season, Dobson confirmed to Rugby365 that Malherbe would be out for an extended period.
“It’s a back thing. With tightheads, when it comes to their backs, and there are scans and epidurals [involved], it’s a moving phase.
“He could play next week, or it could be a long time [on the sidelines]. It’s not a precaution; he’s definitely unavailable.
“He’s been struggling with his posture for a while with the scrummaging, and it’s gotten worse [to the point] that he started to get referrals [patterns].
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Fears were mounting that Malherbe’s playing career was hanging in the balance, given the nature of his injury, but it seems that there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel after being named in the Boks’ first alignment camp of 2026.
Dobson provided a positive update on Malherbe’s progress. Although he didn’t confirm a return date, it seems likely that the Bok prop might return towards the business end of the URC season and possibly make a return for the Boks in the Nations Championship.
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“Frans is changing direction now. He’s not quite in full team training,” Dobson confirmed to Rugby365.
“He’s on the field sometimes the same time as we are.
“Sometimes you can’t tell he’s had a serious setback with his hip or the nerve referral [injury].
“He’s heading in the right direction, but we don’t want to put a timeframe on [his return] given the nature of his injury, but he is on the field, and he looks reasonably good.”
