Dobson: Fourie down, but not out

John Dobson has vowed that Deon Fourie will bounce back after the veteran DHL Stormers flanker had to go under the knife for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Fourie injured his knee in the first half of the Stormers’ Champions Cup defeat against La Rochelle in Cape Town last week and had to be stretchered off the field.

While Dobson was hopeful post-match that Fourie had avoided an ACL injury, the worst has been confirmed, with the 37-year-old now set for a six-month spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on Wednesday.

The match against La Rochelle was the Springbok world champion’s first game back from a rib injury.

“This is not how Deon Fourie’s career will end,” director of rugby Dobson told Netwerk24. “A guy like him doesn’t disappear quietly into the night.”

Good news for Dobson is that the Stormers have plenty of depth in the back row.

Fit-again opensider Nama Xaba is a like-for-like replacement for Fourie, offering a similar threat at the breakdown, while Willie Engelbrecht, Marcel Theunissen and Junior Pokomela offer physical and dynamic options at No 6.

The Stormers could also experiment with Evan Roos at openside and bring Hacjivah Dayimani back into the starting line-up at No 8.

The Stormers have a bye this week and will return to action in the Vodacom URC against Ospreys at Cape Town Stadium on April 20.