Former Springbok lock Hannes Strydom is in a stable condition at a Pretoria hospital after an attempted hijacking.

Strydom was returning home after a gym session when the incident, in which he sustained a cracked skull and a stab wound, occured. 

'He managed to fight off six people who attempted the hijacking,' Hennie le Roux, who played alongside Strydom in the 1995 World Cup, told Ballz Radio on Tuesday. 'He then drove himself to the hospital and was placed in ICU.

'Hannes, being the person that he is, tried to protect his assets. They were throwing rocks through the windscreen and he cracked his skull through his eye socket down towards his mouth. He had it full frontal, from the face. Let's hope and pray that he recovers quickly and appropriately.'

Le Roux said he had spoken to Strydom's wife, who confirmed her spouse's health is improving.

Photo: Tertius Pickard/Gallo Images