Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies has been ruled out of Saturday’s derby against the Sharks at Newlands, with a shoulder injury.

Jantjies was forced off in the first half of the victory over the Sunwolves last weekend after taking the knock, with fit-again veteran Jano Vermaak taking his place.

The 23-year-old went for scans this week, and while his injury will not keep him off the field long term, he still won’t be fit for this weekend’s crucial match.

‘It looks like there is a bit of bone bruising and a muscle tear, so at this stage he is not good for selection,’ Stormers coach Robbie Fleck said. ‘The good news is that it is not a long-term injury. He has gone to see another specialist today so we are waiting for those scans to come back. Hopefully, he will be back next week.

‘Herschel is a big part of our plans at the moment. In saying that, Jano did very well on the weekend. It is good to have his experience back in the squad. Herschel is going to be missed and he definitely brings a tempo to our game.’

There was also news that Pieter-Steph du Toit is in a race against time to be fit for the Rugby Championship. The flank will still be out for another four to six weeks, putting him in doubt for the Springboks’ tournament opener against Australia on 20 July.

The Stormers have at the same time been boosted by Damian de Allende’s return to training. The centre sat out the win over the Sunwolves, but was back involved in full contact on Tuesday.

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