Pat Lambie back in training, Scarra Ntubeni under the knife

06 September 2016 - 14:48 By Craig Ray

Springbok and Sharks flyhalf Pat Lambie on Tuesday took to the field in a training session for the first time since suffering concussion nearly three months ago. Lambie was felled by Ireland flank CJ Stander in the first Test at Newlands on June 10 and hasn’t been involved in any contact since. Sharks doctor Alan Kourie confirmed that Lambie was back in field training‚ although he hasn't started full contact sessions yet. According to Kourie‚ Lambie will be in “modified field training”‚ which the Sharks confirmed meant that he won’t be involved in any contact. But it’s a step in the right direction for the 51-Test veteran. Other Sharks players back in training this week are lock Stephen Lewies and flank Daniel du Preez‚ although they along with Lambie‚ won’t be available for selection this week. And in Cape Town‚ Western Province coach John Dobson has likened Friday’s match against the Golden Lions as a potential semi-final decider. “We’ve dropped eight points during this campaign and they’ve (the Lions) dropped nine‚” Dobson said. “Of the big five unions contesting for the semi-finals we have one more game to play than the Lions. So at the moment if you look at the log‚ it’s us versus the Lions going for fourth spot. “However‚ if we win that game and continue to play well we could go a lot higher. When you are going head-to-head the game has an eight or ten point swing. “If we win this week we’ll get into the semis.” Mystery around Pat Lambie's health continuesSpringbok and Sharks flyhalf Pat Lambie is still on the sidelines nine weeks after suffering a concussion – and there is no time frame set on his return. Lambie suffered a huge blow in the first Test against Ireland on June 11 and hasn’t played since. Dobson also revealed that he visited injured hooker Scarra Ntubeni in hospital after he ruptured his Achilles tendon during last Saturday's 34-27 win over the Sharks at Newlands. The injury has also ruled him out of the Currie Cup and according to Dobson‚ it will probably keep him out of the 2017 Super Rugby tournament as well. As a consequence Ntubeni’s dream of being a Bok is close to over. Dobson even wondered aloud whether the likeable player would ever come back.He will undergo surgery on Wednesday. "It's a devastating‚ devastating injury for Scarra‚" said Dobson. "It's very painful‚ it's very hard to rehab ... at his age‚ it's a tough one to come back from and I'm really sad about that." Time for tough decisions to be made by Springbok coach Allister CoetzeeAllister Coetzee has had four Tests in charge of the Springboks and the time is approaching when he will have to make some big decisions about key personnel. "It's one of the worst injuries I've come across ... not in terms of the actual injury but what it means to Scarra. "He's been through a really rough time with injury. I think his career is on that cusp. He's seen Bongi [Mbonambi] leapfrog him into Super Rugby and he'd just said that he was feeling so good about everything. "He came to us last week and said that he was re-organising some things in his life because he really realises that this is his big opportunity in rugby and he wants to be a Springbok. "He's such a good man and a good person ... good for the team and a quality individual. It's really sad." - TMG Digital..

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