The Stormers face a nervous wait ahead of Saturday's URC quarter-final against Cardiff after Damian Willemse and Leolin Zas collided in training on Wednesday, leaving both players in doubt for the knockout clash.
Willemse is awaiting scan results to determine the extent of a potential knee injury, while Zas is carrying a suspected haematoma after the pair struck each other at pace during the session. Coach John Dobson did not hide his alarm at the incident.
"I hate watching practice on a Wednesday, I try not to watch. And then when I looked up, I just saw Zas and Damian hit each other at 100 k's an hour, and then two bodies lying there for long minutes," Dobson told CapeTalk. "I'm waiting for the scans. That would be catastrophic if those two are both out."
Dobson added that he monitored the medical team's response as an indicator of severity: "You always watch the physio's reaction, and then she's sort of going to call the doctor, and then the doctor starts waddling across."
Reports indicate Willemse slipped while attempting to cover a kick through before the collision with Zas.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu also left the session feeling unwell but is expected to be available for Saturday's match.
The Stormers finished third in the regular season, missing out on a home quarter-final after losing to Cardiff in their final round fixture. They had opened the campaign with eight consecutive wins before a significant loss of form — winning just four of their last ten matches, with home defeats to the Sharks and Connacht among the lowlights.