Centre Rohan’s knee injury a bitter blow for the Lions

JOHANNESBURG: The Lions are preparing themselves for bad news this week regarding star centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, whose further participation in the 2017 Super Rugby season is in the balance.

The hard-running inside centre tore his collateral ligament in his right knee and also damaged his posterior lateral corner in his right knee playing against the Stormers.

If Janse van Rensburg is ruled out of action for a lengthy period he will be the second centre of the Lions to be sidelined following the season-ending injury suffered by Howard Mnisi.

The good news though is the man who replaced Janse van Rensburg at Newlands on Saturday, Harold Vorster, has been a regular in the team this season after spending last year on the sidelines (also because of a knee injury) and was named man of the match in Saturday’s win. He combined brilliantly with Lionel Mapoe, who himself has only recently returned from three weeks out of action because of a hand injury.

The only other injury concern following the trip to Cape Town concerns flank Ruan Ackermann, who bruised his left knee and will only take contact again on Thursday.

All the other Stormers slayers, including fullback Andries Coetzee who passed a late fitness test to play in Cape Town after suffering concussion symptoms last week, are fit and ready to exact revenge on the men Jaguares at Ellis Park on Saturday – the only side to have beaten Ackermann’s men so far this season.

Meanwhile, the Lions are still waiting to hear when star flanker Jaco Kriel has to appear before a judicial hearing. Kriel was yellow carded, and subsequently cited, for a late charge on Stormers No 10 Robert du Preez during Saturday’s match.

Following initial consideration by the Sanzaar Foul Play Review Committee Kriel will have to appear before a hearing. It is almost certain though the flanker will cop some kind of ban, which would rule him out of at least this weekend’s match.

Should that be the case it would open the door for Sevens star Kwagga Smith to come into the starting team, with Cyle Brink, Robert Kruger or Fabian Booysen shifting onto the bench.