Cape Town — A serious knee injury brought an early end to the United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign of the Stormers' utility forward Ernst van Rhyn.
He is out of the North-South quarter-final against the Bulls next weekend in the DHL Stadium after tearing his medial collateral ligament against Benetton in his side's final round-robin match last Friday in Stellenbosch.
Van Rhyn, whose season has been disrupted by injuries, has been in good form for his side every match he played, and his versatility is something they will miss against the Bulls and going forward.
After the 25-year-old walked off gingerly against the Italian club in the Danie Craven Stadium, there was a sense that his injury could be more serious than his teammate Ruben van Heerden who also left the match in the first half.
Clarity over Van Heerden's injury and his availability for the Bulls' clash, will only be known by next week.
Van Rhyn was only on for a few minutes before leaving the field in visible discomfort.
The good news for the Stormers is that youngster Ben-Jason Dixon put in a massive shift after replacing Van Rhyn and will be a good option for the Stormers in the four-lock position. Dixon has played his best rugby this season at flanker for the Stormers but did a stellar job filling in for the two injured enforcers.
And he will relish the opportunity to weigh himself against the Bulls in a week's time.
There's also promising lock Gary Porter who'll be able to slot in with the URC side if they call on him. A handful of youngsters put their hands up last season when the Stormers needed them in the playoffs and John Dobson, their head coach, will be confident they can do it again this time around.
More good news is that flanker Deon Fourie and winger Leolin Zas will be back in the side for the Nort-South derby.
Fourie's absence due to a cheekbone injury was severely felt by his side, especially at the breakdown, but his presence will bolster the side, especially as they will look to stop the Bulls' backline from getting quick ball possession.
The return of Zas also comes at a good time as winger Suleiman Hartzenberg is out injured, while the experienced Seabelo Senatla still needs to go through concussion return-to-play protocols before being cleared to run out.
After a heavy training session on Wednesday, the Stormers players, apart from a handful playing this weekend in the Currie Cup, get an extended rest this weekend before their preparation for the Bulls continues on Tuesday.
IOL Sport