THE Sharks will be without captain Pat Lambie for an estimated six to eight weeks after he suffered a fractured vertebrae in the warm-up before last weekend’s 37-14 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs. Team doctor, Alan Kourie, on Monday afternoon advised of the injuries to two players who left the field.

“Captain Pat Lambie suffered a back injury in a tackle and suffered a fractured vertebrae in his lower back. It is difficult to say exactly how long the approximate length of recovery will be in Pat’s case, as he undergoes further scans today, but his return is estimated at six to eight weeks.”

Head coach Robert du Preez stated on Saturday night that there were always going to be personnel changes during the tournament, as per the directive from SA Rugby to rest Springboks in a plan to manage game time.

With the Easter weekend bye coming up next month, Pat looks likely to return for the late run of South African derbies at a critical juncture in our schedule.

Philip van der Walt suffered an undisplaced fractured cheekbone in a clash of heads and he will not be available this weekend. He will be reassessed next week to determine his availability.

Hooker Franco Marais and fullback Clement Poitrenaud will undergo further tests to determine their availability for this match.