Springbok Ethan Hooker needs surgery after unnecessary late shot

The centre broke free from his defender in the middle of the park and ran 50m to score under the poles against Ospreys in their United Rugby Championship clash on the weekend. But a desperate Luke Morgan made a poor attempt to go for the ball, landing on Hooker's back as he touched down. It dislocated the 23-year-old's shoulder, which now requires surgery. 

Sharks head coach JP Pietersen revealed Hooker is already back home in Durban.

"Ethan flew home, and he saw the surgeon," said Pietersen.

"I can't say how long he will be out for. He is probably going to go for surgery sometime this week.

"Obviously, when they open up the shoulder, they will see something different, so I don't have an exact time on how long he will be out for."

It capped off a miserable night for the Durbanites, who were forced to endure uncontested scrums after Ospreys suffered a string of injuries in the  21-17 loss, virtually ending their chances of making the URC playoffs.

Morgan escaped punishment on the field and again when a URC citing commission reviewed the play. Pietersen confirmed that the Sharks had asked for a ruling on the matter and had accepted the outcome.

"We had a conversation with the head of refereeing [Tappe Henning]," he added.

"It is what it is, and it is out of my control. It is more for the referees and what they need to do. That is pretty much from my side."

The Sharks face Edinburgh in Scotland on Friday night, where Siya Kolisi will earn his 50th cap for the franchise.