Three Lions in doubt for Sharks showdown

The Lions could head into Saturday’s Vodacom URC clash against the Sharks without three key players.

Assistant coach Ricardo Loubscher confirmed that lock Reinhard Nothnagel and winger Eduan Keyter are both under concussion protocols after sustaining head knocks in the 34-27 defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town two weeks ago.

Zimbabwean lock Darrien Landsberg is also a major doubt for the Durban encounter after picking up a knee injury in the same match.

While none of the injuries are believed to be serious, Loubscher acknowledged that Nothnagel and Keyter still need to complete the necessary head-injury protocols before they can be considered for selection. As a result, all three players could be ruled out of the Sharks encounter.

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Their potential absence comes at a challenging time for Ivan van Rooyen’s side. The Lions arrive in Durban on the back of three consecutive defeats across competitions, and the loss of key personnel would place further strain on a squad already searching for momentum.

The Sharks in-turn are enjoying a resurgence in form under interim head coach JP Pietersen, with home victories over Saracens in the Investec Champions Cup and the Bulls in the URC.

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Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images