Former Sharks captain Johann Muller has been ruled out of the rest of the Super 14 with a broken arm.
Muller has already played his last game for the Sharks and will miss their last two games before heading to Ireland where he will play for Ulster.
The injury will keep him on the sidelines for up to six weeks.
Positive news for the Sharks is that Hooker/Prop John Smit's neck injury is not as bad as first thought and scans have revealed no structural damage.
He remains a doubtful starter for the Stormers match on Saturday but the Springbok coaches will be relieved as Bismarck du Plessis was ruled out for three months.
