In a further blow to the Springboks, following their All Blacks humiliation, flanker Jaco Kriel will be sidelined for up to six months with a shoulder injury.
Kriel sustained a severe shoulder injury, diagnosed as a tear of the labrum, in the Springboks' drawn Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Perth on September 9.
The 28-year-old returned to South Africa before the Springboks' 0-57 thumping by New Zealand for further assessment, and it's now confirmed that he needs an operation to repair the damage.
In a post on his Instagram feed, Kriel confirmed that the operation is taking place on Tuesday -- at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Pretoria -- and that he expects to be out of action for six months. The Lions, his local South African team, confirmed as much via their Twitter account too.
Apart from the final two matches of the Rugby Championship, at home against Australia and New Zealand, the 10-times capped Kriel will also miss the Springboks' end-of-year tour to Europe -- featuring internationals against Ireland, France, Italy and Wales. Should the six-month prognosis be accurate, then the renowned fetcher is also set to miss the start of the Lions' 2018 Super Rugby campaign.
The Springboks face the Wallabies in Bloemfontein on September 30 before they end their Rugby Championship campaign against the All Blacks in Cape Town on October 7.