Champions Cup wrap: Mixed fortunes for SA teams, injuries a concern

It was as brutal first round of Champions Cup action for the three South African teams and it doesn’t get any easier this coming week.

While the Sharks recorded an important victory at home, they suffered several injuries to key players and will have an anxious wait to see who is available for this coming weekend’s match against Leicester in England.

But, the Bulls and Stormers both lost their opening games – and also suffered injuries – and they, too, will have their work cut out in the coming days to get patched up ahead of matches against Northampton (at home) and Harlequins (away) respectively.

Sharks win, but lose key players

The Sharks, with several Springbok players in the ranks and Siya Kolisi on top of his game, beat Exeter Chiefs 39-21 in Durban on Saturday, but lost Vincent Tshituka and James Venter, both key loose forwards, to injuries, putting their availability over the coming weeks in doubt.

“We have suffered a number of serious injuries, and this victory is therefore probably expensive,” coach John Plumtree said after the match. “We will now have to bring in players from the wider group, and that will show just how good this group really is.”

Plumtree added though he was pleased with several aspects of his team’s performance, especially after they were reduced to playing with 12 men at the end of the game. Plumtree will certainly look to address the discipline ahead of the clash with Leicester.

Stormers suffer injury setbacks

The Stormers went down 24-14 to French side Toulon in Gqeberha and also suffered more than just the defeat as they lost Manie Libbok and Keke Morabe to injuries. Ben-Jason Dixon also took a blow to the head and may be out of action for a week or two.

Already unavailable are Steven Kitshoff, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse, Frans Malherbe, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie and Dan du Plessis.

“It’s a sore changing room, two guys in hospital (Libbok and Morabe) … it was a brutal game,” Dobson is reported to have said afterwards.

“I think while we’re in pain now and it’s tough, this Stormers group will be a lot better off for the experience after the last couple of weeks with the depths we’ve gone to, and we’re not backing away.”

Bulls’ egos bruised

And while the Bulls may not have suffered as many serious injuries as their fellow SA Champions Cup teams, their egos will have taken a pounding after going down 27-5 to Saracens in London, and that with a very experienced team, packed with Bok players.

The good news is they’re at home this weekend, against Northampton Saints and will be desperate to hit back to get their Champions Cup challenge up and running. The bad news is it was Northampton who knocked them out of the competition at the quarter-finals stage last year, winning 59-22.