The Sharks will have to patiently wait for feedback on injuries to Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi and Curwin Bosch following their 22-22 draw to Munster in the final round of the United Rugby Championship.
Kolisi suffered a knee injury early on in the game in the seventh minute and had to be removed from the field despite his best efforts to play on. The inspirational star was able to walk off the field, which could be a positive sign for Springboks and Sharks fans.
Speedy recovery @SiyaKolisi 🙏#SHAvMUN | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/RAcgeGpYZ9
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) April 22, 2023
Meanwhile, Bosch also did not make it through the first half after being removed in the 34th minute with a rib issue.
Update on Monday
Sharks boss Neil Powell says a more accurate update will be available to the side by Monday afternoon.
“We will have to wait for the doctors to do a proper assessment on Siya’s knee,” Powell said. “I think [Bosch] has a rib injury. We will also assess him and get the feedback from the doctor. We should know by Monday afternoon what the extent of those two injuries are.”
Despite Kolisi being an influential player on and off the field for the Sharks, Powell insists that his squad has enough depth to “fill his boots”.
“That’s why you have 23 players and not just 15. We have enough quality to stand in for him. Phepsi [Buthelezi] is a really good player. It was unfortunate that we lost Siya so early in the game. He is influential as a captain and player. But, like I say, there is still enough quality in our squad to fill his boots,” he said.
Left the door open
The Sharks butchered a 19-point lead against Munster and opened the door for the Irish side who obliged and powered back to claim a draw at the same ground they took 50 points at the beginning of the month.
Powell was frustrated that his side let such a comfortable lead slip and underlined that the Sharks were not clinical enough in the second 40.
“We were so in control at half time. We didn’t respect the game enough in the 15 minutes in the second half and played in the wrong areas of the field. That’s where it went wrong,” he said.
“Munster started to get momentum and belief. We just weren’t clinical in enough in the first parts of the second half to put them away.”
Tough quarter-final
The result has consequences and means that the Sharks will have to face Leinster in Dublin for the quarter-finals, which will be a very difficult task considering the quality of the Irish giants.
“Leinster is a quality side. To beat them at home is going to be a massive challenge. We have shown glimpses of what we are capable of. That first 40 minutes tonight was a really clinical performance. If we put an 80 minutes together like that, it will at least give us an opportunity to go away and beat a quality side like Leinster,” Powell added.
“The Bulls showed it last year when they beat them in the semi-finals. It won’t be easy, but it is possible.”
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