Roos' injury prognosis far from rosy

Salt has been rubbed into the Stormers' wounds with the news that star No8 Evan Roos is unlikely to play for them again this season.

Roos was a significant first half casualty in their 35-5 defeat in the United Rugby Championship (URC) against Ulster at Ravenhill on Friday night.

Coach John Dobson couldn't explain the full extent of the injury but the prognosis doesn't look rosy.

“He will be gone for a while, unfortunately,” said the coach who added the player is walking with the aid of crutches.

Roos left the field just after the 20-minute mark after Ulster's second try. He was injured in the move that led to winger Ben Moxham's try.

'Croc rolled'

“It was a horrible croc roll and he rolled out with a nasty injury. Not sure if it’s a knee ligament rupture of the grain. I hope it does not affect his international aspirations,” said the coach in relation to the Springboks' commitments in the shortened Rugby Championship and Rugby World Cup.

“However I will be surprised if he plays for the Stormers again,” said Dobson.

He wasn't the only casualty.

Hooker JJ Kotze was involved in a clash of heads with a teammate in the third minute, while flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis left the field with what the coach described as a “substantial concussion”.

Before the game the Stormers suffered the late withdrawals of loose forward Junior Pokomela and fullback Clayton Blommetjies due to injury.

“Junior developed headaches on Thursday, he was concussed so the doctors obviously ruled him out,” Dobson said.

“Blommetjies had some infection in his groin, and by Friday afternoon he could not walk.”

Injured list growing

Given their lengthening injury list the Stormers have the option of augmenting their squad with 'medical jokers', or players who are recruited to fill a position left vacant through injury.

Dobson however will press on with what is available in the squad. “Our injury list is getting big right now,” he conceded. “But I don’t know enough at this point to talk about getting in reinforcements. The key thing for us was at lock that’s why we signed Ruben van Heerden.

“Neethling Fouche, Gary Porter, Deon Fourie and Hacjivah Dayimani will return next week.

“Manie Libbok and Paul de Wet are in Cape Town, while Seabelo Senatla is back this week so we don’t need any reinforcements. Hopefully we will be OK,” said the coach.

Dayimani who has been in outstanding form for the Stormers at No8 will likely fill that jersey again in Roos' absence.

The Stormers' next clash is against the Sharks in the URC in Durban next Saturday.

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