WP lose captain De Jongh

Cape Town - Western Province captain and centre Juan de Jongh has been ruled out of action for eight to 10 weeks, after picking up a knee injury in the 49th minute of Saturday's 9-3 win over the Free State Cheetahs.

De Jongh - who captained WP to Currie Cup glory last season - suffered a Grade Two Medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear, which could potentially see him return in time for the Currie Cup playoffs in October.

“To lose one’s captain is always a blow, but to lose someone of Juan’s ability and standing within the team is obviously disappointing for us," WP head coach John Dobson told the WP Rugby website.

“We are fortunate to have a lot of options at centre, but a guy like Juan will leave a big hole given his experience and defensive abilities.”

No 8 Nizaam Carr will take over the Western Province captaincy in the absence of De Jongh.

WP's next assignment is away to the Blue Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday (19:10 kick-off).