Sharks star S’bu Nkosi suffered a suspected dislocation of his elbow in Saturday’s semi-final against the Blue Bulls. CRAIG LEWIS reports.

There are very real fears that Nkosi could be set for an extended period on the sidelines after having to be taken to hospital on Saturday evening after sustaining the injury in the second half.

Nkosi has been a star performer for the Sharks throughout Super Rugby and the Currie Cup, and received a deserved call-up to the Bok squad during the latter stages of the Rugby Championship.

Although the powerful winger is still to feature in his first Test, he was widely expected to earn inclusion for the Springboks’ upcoming end-of-year tour, which will kick off with a clash against Ireland on 11 November.

While the full severity of Nkosi’s injury is still to be confirmed, he is certain to miss Saturday’s final against Western Province in what will be a considerable blow for the Sharks.

If the dislocation is not too severe, Nkosi could be out of action for three to six weeks, with the Sharks now awaiting the full medical report.

‘It looks like he has dislocated his elbow,’ coach Rob du Preez said after Saturday’s game. ‘He’s gone to hospital, so we’ll have to see if there’s any fracture.’

While it is a considerable blow for the Sharks, they will head into next weekend’s final with plenty of confidence after claiming a comfortable 37-27 win over the Blue Bulls.

‘I think it was a fantastic performance by the boys, there are obviously still a couple of things to work on, but this was a job well done,’ Du Preez said. ‘I don’t think we’ve hit our straps yet, but hopefully we’ll see that in the final.’

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