Edinburgh's Pierre Schoeman set to be out for up to six weeks with injury

Pierre Schoeman is set to miss some vital games for Edinburgh over the coming weeks as he recovers from a knee injury sustained in his team’s win over Connacht last Saturday.
Pierre Schoeman, right, suffered a knee injury sustained in his team’s win over Connacht last SaturdayPierre Schoeman, right, suffered a knee injury sustained in his team’s win over Connacht last Saturday
Pierre Schoeman, right, suffered a knee injury sustained in his team’s win over Connacht last Saturday

The loosehead prop will be out of action for four to six weeks, according to his team, and will therefore be absent from the forthcoming PRO14 games against Cardiff on Monday then the Dragons the following Sunday, as well as Edinburgh’s last-16 Champions Cup tie against Racing 92 in Paris at the start of next month.

Schoeman could also miss the outstanding league game against Benetton, which was postponed a few weeks ago after a member of the Italian squad tested positive for Covid-19, and a European quarter-final should Edinburgh get the better of Racing. “It is really disappointing that we’ve lost Pierre for these four to six weeks,” assistant coach Calum MacRae said. “However, it could have been a lot worse, so we have to count our blessings on that.

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“He’s basically twisted his knee. It was a bit of a scare at the weekend, because we felt it could have been quite a significant injury. So we’re really pleased it’s potentially only four to six weeks.”

Boan Venter, who joined Edinburgh last month and made his second appearance off the bench in Connacht, is now set to make his first start against Cardiff. He is expected to become a key player for Richard Cockerill’s side next season, when Schoeman will become eligible to play for Scotland after living here for three years.

“I thought Boan did a really good job,” MacRae continued. “We’ve recruited him because we see a huge amount of quality in him, and I thought he’s acquitted himself really well in the game time he’s had for the club so far.”

MacRae declined to comment on reports in France earlier this week that Cockerill was on the short list for the head coach vacancy at Clermont-Auvergne. “It’s speculation at the moment,” he said. “So it would be wrong for me to pass comment on that, because objectively I don’t know whether it’s fact or fiction.”