EP’s preparations for the looming SA Cup rugby competition were dealt a blow when they were forced to cancel Saturday’s key warm-up clash against the Cheetahs because of an injury crisis.
Ahead of the 10-team SA Cup kicking off on March 6, the EP Elephants’ player roster has been decimated by the loss of four loosehead props sidelined by injury.
EP’s decision to pull out of the clash, which had been scheduled to be played in Nxuba (formerly Cradock), has resulted in the Cheetahs hastily arranging a replacement match against the Griffons.
EP officials said the decision to withdraw from the game had been taken to prioritise player welfare and to take precautionary measures to avoid further injuries ahead of the SA Cup.
The injury catastrophe worsened when EP were beaten by the SWD Eagles in a warm-up match at the Nelson Mandela University campus on Saturday. One loosehead suffered a torn bicep, while another was concussed during the showdown.
In EP’s opening warmup against the Border Bulldogs, a third prop fractured a rib, and a fourth loosehead is only scheduled to return to action after an injury in April.
“With the SA Cup fast approaching, we must prioritise player welfare and take precautionary measures to avoid further injuries ahead of this important competition.”
— Mzi Mpofu, EP general manager
EP general manager Mzi Mpofu said: “This decision [to pull out of the match] has not been taken lightly.
“Between February 7 and 14, we sustained injuries, primarily in the loosehead position. As a result, we are unable to continue playing without the necessary front-row players.
“Unfortunately we are currently facing a serious crisis regarding our loosehead props. After Saturday’s match against the SWD Eagles, we had two more injuries, which now brings the total to four injured loosehead props. As a result, we were forced to play 45 minutes with uncontested scrums.
“With the SA Cup fast approaching, we must prioritise player welfare and take precautionary measures to avoid further injuries ahead of this important competition.”
The Cheetahs will now host the Griffons in Bloemfontein on Wednesday afternoon at the Toyota Stadium in a replacement warm-up.
“I had a long chat with Cheetahs coach Frans Steyn on Sunday morning, and I explained our situation to him, and he accepted things,” EP head coach Allister Coetzee said.
“We are sitting with a bit of a crisis, but the player with a concussion will be ready for our first-round game against the Falcons. Also the prop with the rib injury will be ready for the first fixture. So we will have two of the four injured players back for the Falcons game.
“EP’s top management have been really good and have told me to look [for loosehead props], and I am looking. With your prop stocks, you never know. We are looking ideally for a guy who can pack on both sides, which is tough to get. EP are looking for a prop that can swing.
“We had planned our pre-season as such and had games against Border and SWD. EP knew the Cheetahs would have tested them with a lot of mauling. They are a big mauling side and their set pieces are unbelievably good — and you need that kind of preparation. But it is a fine line, and if you can’t have it [a warm-up], how do you train?
“Now we have to make sure we have really good sessions going forward, and we will be fine. It is not the end of the world even though some players did not get enough minutes.
“Last year, I only played two warmups. Then you can really get stuck into the competition without injuries. Our depth is a bit better than last year, but it is not there yet.”
A new-look EP side will be up against all SA’s non-franchise teams — including the Cheetahs, Pumas, Griquas and a revamped, ambitious Boland Cavaliers outfit — in the SA Cup.
EP, who finished seventh in the 2025 edition of the tournament, must finish among the top four clubs in the 10-team SA Cup to earn promotion.
The Herald
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