Toulouse’s South Africa hooker Gary Botha broke his right leg in Friday’s French Top 14 win over Montpellier and will be ruled out for up to four months.
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The 30-year-old was stretchered off early in the first half of the champions’ 45-25 victory after his leg buckled beneath him in a tackle.
“We are happy with the win but disappointed by the injury suffered by Botha who has broken his leg,” said Toulouse coach Yannick Bru.
Botha, who has played 12 times for the Springboks after making his debut against Australia in 2005, joined Toulouse from the Bulls recently having also spent two seasons at Harlequins.
Botha is the second Springbok on Toulouse’s books sidelined by injury, after prop Gurthrö Steenkamp was recently ruled out with a hip injury at the beginning of December.
Toulouse are blessed to have William Servat in the squad, and France’s star hooker will have to shoulder some extra responsibility with Botha unavailable.
The other players capable of wearing the No.2 jersey are Argentines Eusebio Guiñazú and Alberto Vernet Basualdo.