Monday Round-Up

Trio injured for France: France head coach Philippe Saint-Andre will be made to sweat on the fitness of three frontline players this week, ahead of his side’s clash with England at Twickenham on Saturday. Frontline flyhalf Camille Lopez was forced from the field with a knee injury at the interval,  after he was suspected to have suffered serious bruising around the bone. Clermont man Lopez was then replaced by last year’s starting 10 for Saint-Andre, youngster Jules Plisson. Having impressed in the second forty, Stade Francais’ Plisson then incurred a broken nose in the dying stages of the game. Both flyhalves will now undergo further check-ups throughout the week to determine their fitness ahead of Saturday’s visit to London. Elsewhere, there are also concerns around prop forward Eddy Ben Arous who has suffered a slight injury to his tricep and will be monitored by the French medical team throughout the week.

No RWC for Du Toit: South African rugby will be without the services of second row froward Pieter-Steph Du Toit for this year’s Rugby World Cup, after it was confirmed that he will miss the entirety of the 2015 season. While playing for the Sharks against fellow South African outfit the Cheetahs, Du Toit badly twisted his knee in a tackle midway through the first half. The 22 year old tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee which previously kept him out of action for a large chunk of the 2014 season. Having travelled to Cape Town in the immediate aftermath of the Sharks’ 29-10 victory in Bloemfontein, Du Toit will see a specialist surgeon in the coming days to begin his recovery period.

Ryan Sheady