‘No show’ Ferreira returns home
– Former Lions lock Andries Ferreira (right) will return to South Africa without playing a game for the Hurricanes after he aggravated a knee injury.
The 28-year-old joined the Hurricanes three weeks ago as a replacement for Sam Lousi, who had to have surgery.
“He had a recurrence of an injury that he had last year,” Hurricanes coach John Plumtree said of Ferreira.
“We thought he was all good, but he’s come out here and tweaked it again in training.”
While Ferreira was likely to be fit in about three weeks, Plumtree said they needed a player to immediately cover the loss of Lousi and were likely to stick with existing backups.
“It’s not worth the effort of doing that [rehab],” Plumtree added. “Right now we’ll run with what we’ve got.”
Ferreira was not the only player to succumb to a knee injury. Highlanders and All Blacks flanker Liam Squire’s World Cup hopes diminished after he was ruled out for up to 10 weeks.
The blindside flanker has yet to appear this season after working his way back from a hip injury but tore a medial ligament in training last week, coach Aaron Mauger said.
“It is a terrible blow for him. The guy has worked so hard to get back to where he is,” Mauger said. “These things happen in rugby and unfortunately they have happened to a guy who has already had a bit of adversity this year.
“He has had some poor luck, all right.”
Squire, who turns 28 today, is unlikely to return until mid-May at the earliest and would have less than a month to prove to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen that he would be worth risking in the World Cup squad.
The global showpiece will be held in Japan from September 20 to November 2. –
The Sharks will be eager to bounce back after their loss to the Bulls before their bye, while the previously unbeaten Rebels were probably unlucky to lose last weekend to altitude and the Lions.
Sharks by six.
The Reds are always tough at home, especially after their first win last week against the Sunwolves, but the Brumbies are increasingly looking at their powerful pack to do the damage. Brumbies by 8. Jaguares.