The Sharks could be without Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi for the rest of the season, according to head coach John Plumtree.
Mbonambi was destined for a prolonged absence from the field after being pushed off the field in the first few minutes of South Africa vs. New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup final.
The hooker, who was concussed in the 2019 championship game against England, has now been injured in the first half of a final twice.
Sharks without Mbonambi
After successfully defending their World Cup championship in France, the Springboks returned to South Africa, ending their trophy tour. They will officially rejoin their respective franchises in December.
But according to Sharks general manager John Plumtree, Mbonambi and tighthead prop Vincent Koch won’t be coming back right away.
When asked if he has been in communication with his Bok players and how they are feeling, Plumtree joked with reporters, “Well, I guess the main thing for me is hopefully they’ve sobered up to know what injuries they have.”
“I’m only joking, as far as I know, the only real injuries we have got is Bongi and Vincent Koch, both those guys have knee injuries.
“Unfortunately, Bongi may be out for a while longer, but Vincent will return in three months. It could be the season.”
It’s a major setback for the Sharks, who have lost all four of their opening games this season under their new head coach.
This season, with Mbonambi out of the picture, Scotland international Dylan Richardson has returned to hooker from the back-row, even though the team has additional alternatives in Danie Jooste, Kerron van Vuuren, and Fez Mbatha.
Getting their Springboks back
“The rest are all good to go,” Plumtree added.
“Eben [Etzebeth] is looking forward to it, and I have left them alone because it’s really important they don’t get a phone call from me because they don’t want to hear from me yet, but next week they’ll be hearing from me.
“So we’ll get them back in and see where they’re all at individually, and I think that’s not just physically, but it’s
Additionally, emotionally, you know, returning from such a high to a union, franchise, or club will always present challenges because each will have a unique emotional state. As a result, we will need to gauge each person’s state of mind in order to decide how best to reintegrate them.
In their first home game of the 2023–24 URC season, the Sharks take on the Irish province Connacht in an attempt to win their first game of the season.
When they play the Bulls in December and their next Challenge Cup matches, they should have Makazole Mapimpi, Lukhanyo Am, Etzebeth, Grant Williams, and Jaden Hendrikse back.
