Sale confirm 'as bad as it gets' injury suffered by Cobus Wiese

Sale boss Alex Sanderson has revealed the true extent of the devastating season-ending injury suffered by Cobus Wiese when he was bundled into touch by a dramatic try-saving tackle earlier this month at London Irish. Exiles midfielder Rory Jennings was lauded for his thumping, legal tackle on the Sharks second row in his team’s 36-18 Gallagher Premiership win at the Gtech Community Stadium on March 12.

However, salt has now been rubbed into the Sale wound of Wiese not scoring at an important time in that game as the severe impact on the lock’s left knee when he landed on the ground in touch needed to be operated on last week and the damage will sideline him for up to nine months.

“It’s as bad as it gets, Cobus’ knee is as bad as it gets,” bemoaned title-chasing Sale boss Sanderson following the confirmation that Wiese might not play again in 2023 if his recovery is slow. “A fractured knee with ACL and meniscus tears, it’s six to nine months, so we are devastated for him. Devastated because he was a crucial part of the squad and is a brilliant lad.

“No one deserves an injury like that. It’s a bad part of the game and a bad part of the season for it to happen... we already had plans and had already signed someone up in the back five department anyway the week before Cobus did his knee so that is a positive thing, and we are looking to get injury dispensation as well.

“But it’s brutal when you are looking at nine months layoff. Everything that you learn growing up about bracing for contract, dropping your body height, all those things that he could have armed himself with – and he knows this. Maybe there was a bit of white line fever that detracted from what he could technically have done better.

“There are ways he could have shielded himself better. He took a full-on hit from someone running at full pace. It’s one of those freakish, horrendous injuries. Another day he would be crossing the line and scoring.”

Asked how Wiese is coping with having his fine Sale season ended prematurely, Sanderson added: “He’s alright. His wife is pregnant so he will be around for the birth and the first few months helping, which is a positive if there is ever such a thing. He has played really, really well so his stock within the organisation is quite high because he has had a really good season.

“He is stronger than everyone else around him. Everyone else is ‘oh’, but the people who go through the injury they have got to get on with it, they have to crack on – so he is cracking on.”