Over the last couple of years, Springbok and Stormers utility forward has been beset by unfortunate injuries, and many feared that he potentially suffered a career-ending setback after sustaining an ACL injury in April last year, followed by a torn bicep.
As the 39-year-old faced another lengthy period of recovery and rehab once again, he admitted that an uncertain path lay ahead, but he recently fought his way back into the Stormers set up.
However, he has now suffered another serious injury after he was caught awkwardly in a croc roll at the breakdown by Ulster lock Iain Henderson in the Stormers’ last URC games.
“It’s a grade two or three medial, which is months,” Stormers coach Dobson said this week. “It’s not like an ACL and nine months, but it could be three months.”
Springbok and Stormers veteran coming to the end of his career
Fourie will turn 40-years-old later this year, and it remains to be seen if he will make another comeback.
“I feel very sorry for Deon Fourie,” Dobson said immediately after the game. “That type of action has to be removed from the game.
“No player can survive that. If we don’t take that out, there’s no room for turnovers and the game becomes like rugby league.
“I don’t think the player meant to injure him deliberately, and I think the referee probably got it right,” Dobson added. “But it’s a big blow for us, especially with the form Deon’s been in.”
Punishment for Henderson
Under Law 9.20 (d) – A player may remove the jackler from the tackle area, but must not roll, pull or twist an opponent – the player was shown a yellow card by referee Andrea Piardi (FIR) in the ninth minute of the match that was subsequently upgraded to a 20-minute red card after review.
The Player appeared in front of an Independent Disciplinary Committee, comprising of Roddy MacLeod (Chair), Alasdair Craig and Jonathan Rennie (all Scotland), and accepted that he had committed an act of foul play that warranted a red card.
The Independent Disciplinary Committee deemed that the act of foul play was reckless and merited a mid-range entry point of six weeks for sanctioning.
When applying mitigation, the Committee considered the player’s previous good record (one suspension in a 15-year playing career), his remorse and immediate concern for the opponent player plus his good conduct and full co-operation with the Disciplinary process.
As such, the player was afforded the full 50 per cent mitigation (three weeks) which reduces the length of the suspension to three weeks. The matches the player will miss is dependent on Ulster’s progress in the playoff rounds of the United Rugby Championship.
