As is the accepted practice after a hard and bruising encounter such as the Super 14 semifinal match against the Blues, a number of the Sharks rugby front-runners took a sabbatical from the first training session on Monday ahead of Saturday’s final against the Bulls in Durban.
The major concern, though, for coach Dick Muir and the Sharks management was the state of health of two key players: wing JP Pietersen and utility impact benchman Adrian Jacobs.
Pietersen, the leading try scorer in this year’s Super 14 championship, bruised his hip against the Blues and is currently rated as a 50-50 starter against the Bulls. He will be assessed throughout the week and right up until the eleventh hour before a decision is taken on his fitness to play or otherwise.
Jacobs provided his coach with better news. Medical reports said that his cheek was not fractured on Saturday as was first suspected. But his face is swollen and he has a deep cut on the injured cheek.
As in the case of Pietersen, the injury will be regularly assessed throughout the week. — Sapa