No. 8 Stormers and Springboks After suffering what appeared to be a major knee injury against Ulster on Friday, Evan Roos was visibly distressed.
Roos was forced off the field in the 23rd minute, and Stormers head coach John Dobson acknowledged after the game that it was not a minor injury.
Dobson stated after the match, “I’m still not 100 percent certain of the severity of the injury, but it’s not minor.” “I just hope it doesn’t hinder his national objectives. I find it unlikely that he will play for the Stormers again this season.”
A catastrophic knee injury may sideline Roos for between six and nine months, which would have a significant influence on his hopes of making the Springboks’ World Cup roster.
However, it is believed that tests will find the injuries to be less severe than feared, with additional information due on Monday.
Prior to Friday’s matchup between Ulster and the Stormers in Belfast, there was considerable intrigue from a South African standpoint in the matchup between Duane Vermeulen and Roos.
The youthful Stormers star has frequently referred to Vermeulen as an inspirational mentor, but the two are also essentially fighting for spots on the Springboks’ World Cup roster.
Unfortunately, the duel between the two physical players was cut short when Roos was forced to leave the game early due to an apparent knee injury sustained during a breakdown incident involving Vermeulen.
After the game, the experienced Springbok was seen consoling Roos, who appeared to be on the verge of tears as he left the field; he was later spotted using crutches.
It appears that Roos will be sidelined for a period of time, which coincides with his return to play following another injury.
THE EVAN ROOS INCIDENT FROM THE STORMERS GAME CAN BE VIEWED BELOW: pic.twitter.com/t4LGpLimEo
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) January 27, 2023 Springboks Evan Roos and Duane Vermeulen to face in the URC Springboks Evan Roos and Duane Vermeulen. Image: Twitter
Ulster defeated the Stormers 35-5 (halftime score: 21-0) at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on a chilly Friday evening.
The hosts scored five converted tries as the Stormers, hampered by a number of injuries, battled to find their rhythm and spent the majority of the match without possession and in their own half against one of the best teams in the competition.
Junior Pokomela and Clayton Blommetjies were ruled out prior to kickoff, replaced by Marcel Theunissen and Kade Wolhuter, with Connor Evans and Andre-Hugo Venter coming off the bench; and to make matters worse, they lost JJ Kotze in the fourth minute, with Scarra Ntubeni making his first appearance since April 2022.
SCORERS:
Ulster
Nathan Doak, Ben Moxham, Nick Timoney, Jeff Toomaga-Allen, and Mike Lowry all made attempts.
Doak (4) and John Cooney (2) convert.
Stormers
Consider Andre-Hugo Venter
»Evan Roos, who has been injured, will miss the remainder of the season«