The Sharks will be without several Springboks ahead of their final Champions Cup group showdown against Bordeaux Begles on Sunday (3pm kick-off).
Flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse, winger Makazole Mapimpi and tighthead Vincent Koch all failed Head Injury Assessments following this past Saturday’s 20-8 loss to Toulouse in Durban.
The Challenge Cup holders are already without influential Bok lock Eben Etzebeth, who is also battling to recover from a concussion, and backs André Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi.
Hendrikse, Koch and Mapimpi will be monitored over the next week to see if they can link up with the squad in Wales next week, where they will resume their United Rugby Championship campaign against Cardiff.
The Sharks’ ambitions at the 33 000-seater Stade Chaban-Delmas took a knock with the absence of the Bok trio, but the team are still pushing for a place in the Round of 16 of the Champions Cup.
They basically need one point from the duel in Bordeaux to end fourth in their group.
The 28-man ensemble for the French mission selected by head coach John Plumtree consists of 16 forwards and 12 backs.
This includes the return of Springboks Lukhanyo Am, Grant Williams and Ntuthuko Mchunu, as well as loose forward James Venter and utility back Eduan Keyter.
Their presence should bolster the squad’s performance in these critical fixtures.
Plumtree acknowledged the impact of missing several pivotal players as the Sharks faced Toulouse, expressing that a full-strength side could have altered the dynamics of that match.
They struggled to maintain possession during the first half, leading to a lack of pressure against their opponents, who were inspired by talisman Antoine Dupont.
Yet, their performance improved in the second half when they managed to hold on to the ball better.
