Southern Kings Hooker, Hannes Franklin, and Lock, Darron Nell, have both suffered knee injuries during Southern Kings training sessions this week.
Director of Rugby, Alan Solomons, said today that it looked as if Franklin would be out for between six to twelve weeks, after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during a training session on Tuesday.
“We will have a better idea of the extent of the injury and duration of treatment in the next 24 hours,” said Solomons.
Franklin made his professional debut for the Falcons in 2003 then spent one season at the Pumas and three seasons at SWD Eagles, before returning to the Pumas in 2009. During his second spell at the Pumas, he also represented the Royal XV in a game during the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. He was also included in the Lions Super Rugby squad in 2010.
In 2010, Franklin captained the Pumas Currie Cup Premier Division side in the Promotion/Relegation match against the EP Kings Currie Cup 1st Division squad, leading the Pumas to a narrow victory that helped them avoid relegation.
Franklin then made the move across to the EP Kings in 2011, and has been a regular member of EP Kings starting line up ever since. He was named as part of the Southern Kings 40-man squad ahead of their Super Rugby debut earlier this week.
Nell, who is also part of the Southern Kings 40-man squad, injured his knee during a training session on Monday when he collided with a partially exposed sprinkler head on the field.
“Darron has suffered a soft tissue injury, but thankfully there is no fracture. He is expected to be out for about three weeks” said Solomons.
Nell debuted for the Free State Cheetahs in the 2003 Vodacom Cup, where he remained until 2008 before joining the French Top 14 team Castres for two seasons.
He represented the Southern Kings during the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa and returned to South Africa in 2010 to play for the Eastern Province Kings.
