Sharks lock JC Astle has been ruled out for three weeks, while Etienne Oosthuizen remains doubtful for Saturday's match against Griquas in Durban.

With Stephan Lewies still finding his feet following his injury lay-off, the Sharks' depth in the second row is being severely tested at present.

To further compound the issue, flank Francois Kleinhans has been ruled out for eight weeks with a broken hand.

The Sharks suffered their first defeat of the season at the weekend, going down to the Pumas in Nelspruit, with coach Brad Macleod-Henderson blaming the disruptions to the pack for their poor performance.

Now he may have to field a completely new lock pairing against Griquas, a team that the Sharks narrowly defeated in the opening round of the Currie Cup despite playing for over 70 minutes with a numerical advantage.

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