South Africa will start their Rugby Championship campaign next month without four of their star players.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus revealed that veteran lock Franco Mostert suffered a leg fracture in the loss to Ireland at the weekend and will not make the trip to Australia for the two Tests against the Wallabies Down Under.
Mostert will be sidelined for six weeks, meaning he is in a race against time to be back for the second Test against New Zealand in Cape Town on September 7.
Rassie Erasmus gives a Springbok injury update ahead of the Portugal Test
Rassie Erasmus gives a Springbok injury update ahead of the Portugal Test
Back-up captain Pieter-Steph du Toit will also miss the first Rugby Championship Test – in Brisbane on August 10.
Erasmus put Du Toit’s recovery at “four to six weeks”.
Wing Cheslin Kolbe, who also suffered a lower leg injury in the Kings Park loss, might play again in the second Test against the Wallabies in Perth on August 17.
Their World Cup-winning teammate Malcolm Marx suffered a tibia fracture when he was crock-rolled in the loss to Ireland.
Wing Edwill van der Merwe will be sidelined for six weeks with an ankle injury he suffered while playing in a Currie Cup match for the Lions this past weekend.
The good news is that flyer Canan Moodie has recovered from his finger fracture and should be available to train again next week.
