The Free State Cheetahs started preparations for round two of their battle with the Eastern Province Kings facing a new injury crisis.
rugby365
Cheetahs assistant coach Hawies Fourie revealed on Monday that flank Pieter Labuschagne has been added to the extraordinary list of loose forwards ruled out for the season.
The Cheetahs, who won the first round of their promotion-relegation series with the Kings by a 39-point (53-14) margin, require just one point on the standings to retain their Currie Cup status.
However, Labuschagne has been ruled out of the trip to Port Elizabeth on Friday, while Kings-bound centre Andries Strauss and Perth-bound flyhalf Sias Ebersohn are also doubtful starters.
“Pieter [Labuschagne] injured ligaments in his ankle [against the Kings last Friday] and has been ruled out for six weeks, so he is obviously not available this week,” Fourie told this website.
“Andries [Strauss] has concussion and also injured his shoulder.
“He will visit a specialist on Tuesday, so the chances are slim of him being available.
“Sias [Ebersohn] also has slight concussion and he has to go through the IRB’s return to play protocols [cognitive tests]. We will only know later in the week if he will be available.”
Fourie admitted the latest batch of injuries are “not ideal”, but the 39-point buffer has given them some breathing space.
“It [the points advantage] helps, but we have been battered by injuries so much this season that we half expected it [another batch of injuries].
“It does help to have that buffer, knowing that if we get just one point [against the Kings] in Port Elizabeth we stay in the Currie Cup competition.
“We made life easier for ourselves [with the 53-14] win this past weekend.”
However, the growing injury list – that features Springboks Juan Smith (he has not played at all this year), Heinrich Brussow and Lucas Floors, as well as Frans Viljoen, Johannes Prinsloo and now Labuschagne – has left them with a tricky selection poser ahead of the encounter with the Kings.
“We don’t have many [loose forward] options left,” Fourie told this website, adding: “We brought some players from the Under-21 ranks to train with us today [Monday].
“The options are to move Francois Uys back to flank and select another lock, or to start with Davon Raubenheimer and bring on of the Under-21 players onto the bench.
“We have run out of [loose forward] resources.”
It is not natural for so many to break down… wrong conditioning approach?
That said, even with one hand tied behind the Cheetahs backs, can’t see the Kingies getting 40 points win plus a bonus point to boot on Friday.
@ grootblousmile:
Jip, If you have that many injuries I would have a series look at the conditioning approach.
Perhaps too much rugby?
4 @ Loosehead:
That’s only a small part of it, otherwise all the other Franchises would be suffering the same fate…. and no they do not… so it must be a Free State thing!
Have you Vrystaaters become soft? Not enough Putupap? Bloemfontein girls too rough on you okes?
@ Loosehead:
Could be. Wonder how they measure fatigue in their players?
6 @ leon:
Soon as they can’t carry a Streepsak vol mielies anymore, then they are fatigued!
Hehehe
@ grootblousmile:
haha. Your probably right!!!!
8 @ leon:
Backline players get to carry about half a bag of mielies… en Scrummies a little less…. hiehiehie
5 @ grootblousmile:
They are. Look at your Bools, Chilli out for how long and how many times? Same for both Potties, I see that the shit one is injured again. Stegpap, out injured.
Sharks, Bismark, Beast was out for ages, Jannie DuP is concussed, Sykes was out for ages, Deksel out for how long? Alberts, how many games did he miss with injury?
WP, all their loosies and most of their locks.
Loins, plenty there too.
The Freestate might have a few more injuries, but all SA teams have had many this year.
10 @ Loosehead:
Then it MUST be the shitty mielies the Free State produce these days…. hahaha
I think the Cheetahs will still take the 2nd leg.
With daylight.
11 @ grootblousmile:Global warming!
How do I write in bold text?
12 @ BobbejanklimdiebergStormersboySpringbokJan:
Bobbejannie, The Rugby Championship is finished… and we have reverted to our normal nicknames….
Question now is, do you go back to just “Bobbejaan” or back to “Stormpoppiesboy”?
Loosehead,
I will exxplain…. but take the spaces out where I put spaces in, OK?
To start something in BOLD, just type < b >
To close the BOLD (and it is important that you do), just type < /b >
Like this:
HAK HAK MORNE STEYN IS KAK!
It works!
15 @ grootblousmile:
Flip. Never too old to learn.
18 @ Scrumdown:
Easy Peasy
@ grootblousmile:
That better??
19 @ grootblousmile:
Remember, I have to consult IT “expert” on how to send an e-mail in something other than plain text.
21 @ Scrumdown:
Yeah, this is more than a Rugby Site… it is IT on call as well!
Hahaha
20 @ Stormersboy:
Ahhh, now you are almost NORMAL!
@ grootblousmile:almost
@ Loosehead:
yes every province has injured players, but if you have as many as the Cheetahs or Lions I would start asking questions about their conditioning. It will be good to get some statistics on game time lost due to injuries per province.
24 @ Stormersboy:
Yeah, ALMOST…. but don’t worry, we’ll get you to support the Bulls, then you’ll be NORMAL…. hahaha
1 @ GBS,
If the injuries were soft tissue, then conditioning can be blamed. Cheetahs had minimal injury concerns in the Super 15, so I guess it started taking it’s toll in the CC.
Besides how do you prevent broken bones, and ligament tears in a contact sport like rugby. In addition, I don’t care how well conditioned, or well built you are as a player, if your arm is at full extension, and a player crashes down on you in a tackle, simple biomechanics says, your shoulder is going to pop!
Same with the knees, hyper extended, and abit too much weight, and pop goes the weasel.
27 @ Cheetah4eva:
Nah, must be the Bloemfontein girls hyperextending the rugby okes….
I am with Loosehead on this. Too much rugby. Body can take only so much before it breaks down.
Also C4E is right. It is easy to pick up a freak injury when being tackled. Look at the freak injury Bissie picked up to his knee in the first test? Also remember Deysel picking up a similar injury just falling wrong on the leg. It can happen.
@ Puma:
Well if the issue is player fatigue, then they must manage the players better and this is the job of the conditioning coach. They must have a protocol to measure fatigue and rest a player before he gets injured.
You do get freak injuries but this should be the exception.
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