There was good and bad news for DHL Western Province on the injury front on Monday, with two players returning to fitness ahead of this coming weekend’s Sharks game but – in turn – two players dropping out with injuries.

Fullback Joe Pietersen (wrist) and flanker Tyrone Holmes (shoulder) both returned to training at full tilt earlier in the day, but physical forward Rynhardt Elstadt sat out and will miss the next three weeks of action with a hairline rib fracture.

Joining Elstadt on the sidelines will be winger Ederies Arendse who is unlikely to see any more action this season after damaging his shoulder (rotator cuff) against the Bulls just over a week ago.

“Injuries are always tough to deal with,” admitted DHL WP coach Allister Coetzee on Monday.

“It seems we have a new challenge every week (in terms of injuries), but you have to take the rough with the smooth – in losing Rynhardt we have Tyrone back and Joe is back this week with Ederies unfortunately out for six weeks.”

Elstadt missed the first three weeks of action in the 2012 Absa Currie Cup season with a groin injury but has since featured prominently for WP in their wins over the Blue Bulls (42-6) and the Cheetahs (29-22 – this past weekend).

However, the return of the hard-nosed Holmes – who missed the Bulls and Cheetahs matches – will boost DHL WP up front, as will Joe Pietersen’s clean bill of health after missing their last four matches.

Holmes could slot straight back into the starting XV, given the loss of Elstadt, but Pietersen could be used off the bench against the Sharks in Durban on Saturday; with youngster Damian de Allende and DHL Stormers regulars Gerhard van den Heever and Gio Aplon starting in the back three.

“It’s one of the calls I need to make. It’s always a challenge for a coach to make the right choice,” admitted Coetzee when asked where Pietersen might fit in against the Sharks.

“I’d like to have a bit of continuity and I also need to weigh up whether or not I should make changes to a winning a team. Also, I think Gio had one of his best games of the season (at fullback), and Joe hasn’t been with the team for a while, so I have a lot to consider and weigh up (in terms of selection). It’s something I will be sleeping on, that’s for sure.”

The Sharks will be dangerous opponents on their home turf on Saturday (kick-off 19h10); not just because they beat DHL WP 25-23 in the first round of Absa Currie Cup action earlier this season, but also because they will still be smarting from their shock 15-22 loss to GWK Griquas in Kimberley.

“I still think the Sharks could’ve won that game,” said Coetzee, when asked about this past weekend’s action.

“This is a good Sharks side – even without their many Springboks. Their pack then (when we lost to them in the first round) was probably weaker than the one now – they’ve got Bresler back and Daniel too. Really, they’re a quality outfit across the board.

“Also, it’s an away game (in Durban), which is another challenge for us, plus we’ve not beaten the Sharks in the 2012 Absa Currie Cup.”

DHL WP are currently in first place on the Currie Cup log, on points’ difference ahead of the Lions (second place) and the Sharks – the only two sides to have had the measure of the Men in Blue & White thus far in the 2012 Absa Currie Cup season.

According to Coetzee those defeats, to the Sharks and Lions, proved that there was no room for complacency in this young DHL Western Province side.

“The players understand that we still have to make up for that home game we lost – ironically against the Sharks last time out,” he said.

“Every game is important and tough, but we want to start the second round of competition better and we want to continue improving our game.”