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Springboks left to sweat on Siya Kolisi injury
The Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell says his team’s quarterfinal trip to Dublin is not mission impossible despite some major injury concerns.
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Sharks captain Siya Kolisi and flyhalf Curwin Bosch both left prematurely during the 22-22 draw to Munster on Saturday.
The Springbok captain Kolisi had to replace in the opening 10 minutes of the match after he sustained a knee injury, incurred during a tackle by Calvin Nash.
He tried to play on but struggled to shake off the niggle.
Flyhalf Bosch left the field just short of the half-time break when the Sharks were leading 19-3.
Speaking to reporters after the match Sharks Director of Rugby Neil Powell revealed the severity of the injuries will be confirmed on Monday.
“We will have to wait for the doctor to do a proper assessment on Siya’s knee,” Powell said.
“I think [Bosch] has a rib injury. We will also assess him and get feedback from the doctor. We should know by Monday what the extent of those two injuries are.”
Despite the anxious wait, Powell is confident the Sharks have enough quality to fill the void should Kolisi be ruled out of the play-offs phase in two weeks’ time.
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“We have enough quality to stand in for him,” Powell said.
“Phepsi [Buthelezi] is a really good player. It was unfortunate that we lost Siya so early in the game. He is influential as a captain and player. But, like I say, there is still enough quality in our squad to fill his boots.”
Monday’s news will have a major impact on the Springboks.
Should the scans reveal that the Bok captain has torn cruciate ligaments then he will face a race against time for the 2023 World Cup in France in September.
The Sharks’ final round-robin league match was literally a game of two halves.
The Durban side took a 19-3 lead at half-time and within four minutes of the second half made it 22-3. The Sharks looked well on their way to a famous victory.
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However, a Munster penalty try instigated the Sharks’ implosion. They conceded two additional tries and had to hold on for a draw.
The result means, the Sharks secured the eighth spot on the overall log and will travel to Dublin to face Leinster in the quarterfinals.
“We all know that Leinster is a quality side, they play a good brand of rugby,” Powell said.
“To beat them at home its obviously going to be a massive challenge. But we showed glimpses of what this team is capable of in the first 40 minutes of [the draw against Munster].
“If we can manage to put in an 80-minute performance it will give us an opportunity to beat a quality side like Leinster.
“The Bulls showed us last year when they beat them in the semifinal of the URC.
“So it’s not going to be easy but it is possible.”
