Worcester Warriors du Preez hospitalised with freak throat injury

Worcester Warriors backrow Cornel du Preez has been hospitalised after he sustained a nasty injury to his throat.

Wasps flyhalf Billy Searle’s penalty 12 minutes from time earned his side a 21-20 win over the Warriors.

However the injury to du Preez could prove costly, with the South African born Scotland international backrow expected to be sidelined for a considerable length of time.

According to Warriors headcoach Alan Solomons: “Cornell du Preez has a potential fractured larynx after a blow to his throat and could be out for a while.”

🚑 Injury updates from Solly:

"Cornell du Preez has a potential fractured larynx after a blow to his throat and could be out for a while.

"Jamie Shillcock had a clean up of his knee this week and is looking at six weeks out."

— Worcester Warriors (@WorcsWarriors) September 1, 2018

Solomons told the Worcester News after the match: “I don’t know what happened. I haven’t seen it, but something must have hit him. He is not going to fracture his larynx (without being hit).

“It’s major and that’s the way I understand it. He has gone to hospital.”

Solomons said he was concerned for the player.

Warriors are dealing with a number of injury concerns. According to Solomons Jack Singleton (neck) and Marco Mama (groin) “won’t be rushed back until they are right.

“We believe we have strength in depth but we will see how they are this week.”

“Anton Bresler pulled up with a groin problem just before the game.”

“Jamie Shillcock had a clean up of his knee this week and is looking at six weeks out.”

Du Preez joined Worcester this summer, a like for like replacement with the departing David Denton.

The 6’4, 109kg backrow was reunited with Solomons having so far made six appearances for Scotland, with his most recent in this season’s NatWest 6 Nations against Wales.

The back row made the move to Edinburgh Rugby in 2013 where he has made more than 100 appearances, scoring 13 tries, and also helped the Scottish side to the European Challenge Cup final in 2015 and also the quarter-finals of the competition last season.

Du Preez previously played for Eastern Province Kings in South Africa where he made 23 appearances and crossed for 11 tries, as well as playing 16 times for the Kings in the 2013 Super Rugby season.

Born in Port Elizabeth, Du Preez also represented the South Africa Under 20s side in 2011.