Franco van der MerweLionsThe Lions medical staff have released an injury update, following the Vodacom Super Rugby outfit’s 23-20 victory over the Reds at Ellis Park on Saturday evening.

Lions Media Release

Injury concerns relating to utility backs Coenie van Wyk and Deon van Rensburg were appeased on Monday as both are expected to recover ahead of next weekend’s clash against the Crusaders.

Unfortunately Springbok lock Franco van der Merwe sustained a severe ankle injury during Saturday’s match and was forced to leave the field.

He underwent surgery yesterday and will be out for six months as a result.

The Golden Lions Rugby Union management will do their utmost to ensure that Van der Merwe receives only the best possible medical treatment throughout his rehabilitation process.

57 Responses to Super Rugby: Lions – Franco van der Merwe out for 6 MONTHS

  • 1

    It is a shame, he was having a pretty good season!

  • 2

    Darn!!! But MB Lusaseni will have to take the load, and chance to blood another player.

  • 3

    2 @ Lion4ever:
    Darn???

    Not allowed to use better expletives?

    Hahahaha

  • 4

    Is it just me, or do the SA sides seem to have a higher injury tally than the other countries?
    It seems as if our injuries seem more serious, more season ending type injuries.

  • 5

    @ grootblousmile:
    Got to be careful. But inside I am making a drunk sailor seem like he is at an old ladies classical English poetry recital. Just hope the back up locks can adequately, nay more than adequately fill his immense boots during his time in recuperation.

  • 6

    5 @ Lion4ever:
    Yip, I hear you!

    I felt like that when Arno Botha was injured and not when Pierre Spies was injured. Luckily the Bulls now have Dewald Potgieter at No 8 and young Jacques du Plessis seems to be growing nicely at No 7.

    Lusaseni certainly now has a massive task… but he seemed to do OK after Franco went off.

    Lions are now thin at locks though, one more lock injury and it could become a problem.

    The Sharks without Pieter-Steph du Toit seems to be weak at lock now, as witnessed against the Bulls on the weekend.

  • 7

    @ nortierd:

    This has been the case for years I put it down to the way we train.

  • 8

    The Antipodian sides are also hit hard with injuries…. just look at the recent Reds injuries, Gill and another in addition to some others.

    The Brumbies have some injuries, so too the Rebels.

    The Cudaders are without McCaw, Carter ect, the Highlanders are only getting Thorn back now… and so we can go on and on.

    It might seem that we in SA are harder hit, because the SA sides is where our focus lies.

  • 9

    @GBs
    Carter is on sabbatical isn’t he?
    Our injured are out for a season, where their injuries seem like a couple of weeks.
    Arno, even before the SR, out for the year
    Lambie, out for the Sr season
    PSdT, out for the SR season
    Franco, out for the Sr season
    Then we also have the Stormers uping the amount with their usual niggles, but some serious players are out for the season already

  • 10

    Players currently reported as injured

    Below is a list of players who have been reported to us as injured. Click “Yes” to let us know that a player has recovered. Thanks bru!
    TEAM PLAYER DATE FIRST REPORTED HAS HE RECOVERED?

    Blues Mealamu, Keven 11 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Brumbies Lealiifano, Christian 6 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Brumbies Sio, Scott 18 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Bulls Kirsten, Frik 6 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Bulls Spies, Pierre 17 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Bulls van der Merwe, Flip 9 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Cheetahs Brussow, Heinrich 9 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Chiefs Aki, Bundee 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Chiefs Elliot, Hikawera 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Chiefs Fruean, Robert 16 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Crusaders Flynn, Corey 9 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Crusaders Moody, Joe 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Hurricanes Bateman, Tim 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Hurricanes Goodes, Reg 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Hurricanes Shields, Brad 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Hurricanes Sione, Eric 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Hurricanes Vito, Victor 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Lions Bondesio, Michael 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Lions Coetzee, Andries 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Lions Mathee, Rudi 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Lions van der Merwe, Franco 24 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Rebels Sexton, Tom 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Rebels Stirzaker, Nic 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Rebels Thomson, Chris 25 February
    Tell us he has recovered

    Reds Feauai-Sautia, Chris 20 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Sharks Lambie, Pat 22 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Sharks Reinach, Jacobus 24 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Sharks du Toit, Pieter-Steph 20 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Stormers Burger, Schalk 22 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Stormers Carizza, Manuel 4 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Stormers Etzebeth, Eben 20 March
    Tell us he has recovered

    Stormers Liebenberg, Tiaan 24 March
    Tell us he has recovered

  • 11

    All I am saying is that our injuries compare to those from the Antipodian sides.

    For instance, the Reds lost 4 players on tour here in SA alone, Gill, Toua, Sautia & Ben Daley. They are shorter term injuries though, as I understand. The Brumbies have 4 or 5 out at the moment, the Rebels a number too. The Tahs are without Folau and who else?

    The Canes have a list of injuries, the Landers, Blues, Crusaders in the same boat.

    The Bulls have 3 long term injuries – Spies, Botha, Kisten. The Sharks now have 3 long term injuries – Lambie, Reinach, Pieter-Steph du Toit. The Stormers have Etzebeth, De Kock, Carizza, Schalla, Ntubeni, Kolbe, Elstadt out. The Cheetahs have Coenie die Boef, Brussow out. The Lions have Franco van der Merwe out.

    Yeah, SA sides possibly with the most number of longer term injuries…

    I suppose one has to play with what you have, in the circumstances which you have in front of you.

  • 12

    I guess that is so, it just seems worse for us when one looks at the players already out for the season who are supposed to make their mark for the Boks and claim spots for the WC

  • 13

    didnt the reds have something like 11 injuries at a stage during 2012?

  • 14

    I know historically SARU have been concerned by the high injury rate particularly soft tissue injuries suffered by South African players I think they did a study on it .

  • 15

    Maybe we dont have enough fluoride in our water 😉

  • 16

    Die laaities deesdae pomp soveel ysters met supplements dis net so goed hulle lyk soos Hummers maar het 1400 Datsun engins

  • 17

    I suppose it’s how you MANAGE your injuries (they are bound to happen), which counts.

    I am happy with the way the Bulls have now MANAGED the Arno Botha & Pierre Spies injuries… bringing in Dewald & Wimpie (still playing Vodacom Cup).
    I am concerned how the Bulls are going to manage Frik Kirsten’s loss, Marcel van der Merwe does not cut the mustard.

    I don’t know how the Sharks are going to compensate for Pieter-Steph’s injury, their remaining locks are light in the pants.
    Lambie could be replaced by Fred Zeilinga or Frans Steyn… Tim Swiel is too light in the pants.
    Charl McLeod is more than capable of taking over from Reinach (in fact I would have started him anyway already), but they need another scrummie as backup now.

    The Stormers have multiple problems with injuries now… I have no answer for their problems.

    The Cheetahs are getting Coenie back soon enough and Boom Prinsloo & Jean Cook covers well for Brussow’s absense.

  • 18

    nortierd wrote:

    Die laaities deesdae pomp soveel ysters met supplements dis net so goed hulle lyk soos Hummers maar het 1400 Datsun engins

    Te veel spiere vir die gebeendere, dan skeur die ligamente en hegtings van die skelet af.

  • 19

    @GBS 17
    Those first couple of losses there were many Bull supporters not happy with the loose trio you had after Arno and Pierre’s injury, very scathing towards Ross in particular.
    What has changed, more than Dewaldt coming back, has been the fact that they won there last 3 games. That makes all the difference. If they had lost at Loftus to the Blues, Lions or Sharks, I’m sure fault would have been found somewhere?
    Steggies, Dewaldt and in particular Matfield, has made a hell of a difference not just in playing terms. They bring a legacy with them that the youngsters can look up to.
    When the team wins, not much is wrong with the players, it’s when they lose that presents the issues.

  • 20

    Pietman wrote:

    nortierd wrote:
    Die laaities deesdae pomp soveel ysters met supplements dis net so goed hulle lyk soos Hummers maar het 1400 Datsun engins
    Te veel spiere vir die gebeendere, dan skeur die ligamente en hegtings van die skelet af.

    Yep
    Daai supplements bou nie tendons op nie

  • 21

    @ nortierd:
    Kyk al die enkelbeserings, ek wonder of die lae stewels nie iets daarmee te doen het nie?
    As jy mooi kyk hoe Franco se enkel verdraai het… dit sou moeilik gebeur het met die destydse Bennie Osler, Gary Brand of BG Continental (my gunsteling) rugbystewels wat stewig bokant die enkelknop met veters vasgemaak was.
    Deesdae se stewels val sommer van die voet af, en gee geen sywaartse beskerming teen verdraaing van die enkels nie.

  • 22

    19 @ nortierd:
    4 Belangrike dinge by die Bulls het gebeur…

    1. Deon Stegmann is terug op oopkant, waar Jono Ross NOOIT moes gespeel het nie, Deon en Dewald verskaf nou balans aan die lostrio.
    2. Bulls het nou ‘n losskakel wat kan en wil, nie ‘n donkie (Fouché) nie
    3. Francois Hougaard begin weer vorm herwin en werk as ‘n kombinasie met Jacques-Louis Potgieter
    4. Daar is nou genoeg ervaring gebou rondom klompie jong manne, met Victor, Stegmann, Dewald Potgieter, Hougie, Jacques-Louis Potgieter as kern van ondervinding.

    Worries is steeds haker, stut diepte op vaskop en heelagter…

    Dinge sal en sou nooit gewerk het met Jono Ross op oopkant flank nie… en met Louis Fouché op losskakel nie.

  • 23

    @Pietman
    Feite daai, ek onthou my eerste boots, n paar Adidas enkel boots soos Morne Du Plessis in gespeel het.
    Ons het mos eers in Standerd 6 begin boots dra

  • 24

    @GBS
    Yip, JLP speel goeie rugby op die oomblik en Hougie gaan ook beter, maar dis die goeie gronslag wat julle voories nou le vir hom om meer tyd te he.

  • 25

    21 @ Pietman:
    Daai hoë voorspelerboots was rof en onbeskof!

    Ek kon nie met hulle speel nie, het my so stadig soos ‘n skilpad laat voel, so het maar altyd met “Sokkerboots” gespeel, maar jinne het paar keer lelik rondom die enkels gekak as die ouens met hulle lang yster studs op jou getrap het.

    Maar ek was mos oopkant flank, so ek moes vinnig oral uitkom, so ek het nie juis opsies gehad nie, want ek was nooit ‘n spoedvraat gewees nie.

    So, ek was eintlik so klompie jare voor my tyd meer advanced as die ouens wat nog met die hoë boots gespeel het… hehehe

  • 26

    Boots may have an effect a lot of the players want to play in boots that are not specifically rugby orientated.

  • 27

    We wore boots from Std 1. Mine had metal studs. All the better for standing on those teensie weensie little 10 year old hands in the rucks……

    What can I say. It started young.

  • 28

    @ nortierd:
    Ek onthou St 6 ja, die einde van ons kaalvoet dae! Krisjan Kiewiet op Velddrif was egter al in St 4 verplig om boots te dra, die laaities het gekla hy trap hulle te se seer met daai paar moerse skurwe kaal pote!

  • 29

    @ grootblousmile:
    Daai Gerry Brand voorspelertokse het leerstuds gehad wat met spykertjies vas was,as daai studs begin slyt, veral op die N.Kaapse sandvelde dan wond hulle jou erger onder in n losskrum as n rooikat se naels, glo my…jy het nie getalm en rondgele naby die bal soos vandag nie, te gevaarlik met al daai malende pote rondom jou.

  • 30

    Pietman wrote:

    @ nortierd:
    Ek onthou St 6 ja, die einde van ons kaalvoet dae! Krisjan Kiewiet op Velddrif was egter al in St 4 verplig om boots te dra, die laaities het gekla hy trap hulle te se seer met daai paar moerse skurwe kaal pote!

    Ha ha ha
    Hoe lekker lag ek nou

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