News

De Waal out for three months

August 06 2008

Western Province fly-half Willem De Waal is facing a lengthy lay-off as he will undergo surgery to an injured hip joint on Thursday.

De Waal suffered a hip joint injury to his left leg (his kicking leg) during Western Province's 27-13 loss to the Lions in the Currie Cup in Johannesburg last Saturday.

The injury is a contact injury and after a scan and on the advice of a specialist, De Waal will undergo arthroscopic surgery on Thursday to repair torn cartilage in the joint as a stabilizing procedure.

He will be in a brace for six weeks, followed by approximately six weeks of rehabilitation meaning the WP medical team aim to have the fly-half back into training in three months time.

The Cape Town side faces a crisis in the fly-position since Springbok number ten Peter Grant is expected to out of action for a similar period of time after undergoing surgery last week to remove scar tissue and bone fragments present in his right shoulder AC joint.

Three weeks ago reserve pivot Isma-eel Dollie left for Boland on a loan deal after being frustrated by having De Waal, Grant and Naas Olivier ahead of him in the pecking order.

WP coach Allister Coetzee has also opted to play the versatile back Joe Pietersen at fly-half against the visiting Sharks at Newlands on Friday. Pietersen has played in various back-line positions, both for the Stormers and WP, although he has never made any run-on XV in the pivot berth.

He has been thrown into the deep end as his opposite number will be one of the world's best exponents of the position, French international Fred Michalak.