Hurricanes fullback Cory Jane is in doubt for next weekend's Super 14 clash against the Bulls in Pretoria.
Jane was forced from the field midway through the first half of Sunday morning's disappointing 13-37 defeat to the Stormers after a clash of heads with big Fijian winger Sireli Naqelevuki.
"He's not looking too well," said coach Colin Cooper. "We'll get a medical report on him but it doesn't look good for next week."
It was a torrid match for the Hurricanes, who looked lacklustre in the five-tries-to-two loss.
They were pinned in their own half for much of the match and what little possession they did have they either kicked away, turned over at the breakdown or fumbled.
"I think we were always trying. I think we were probably trying too hard and probably people were trying to do it themselves rather than as a collective unit I guess," said lock Michael Paterson.
The Hurricanes attack never really got going with the Stormers, who have conceded just 51 points in five games now, able to slow the ball down every time the visitors looked to get some impetus.
"We'll have to go back to the drawing board and work on our ruck ball and getting quick ball and working as a unit and playing at the right end of the field," said Paterson.
"Otherwise we're not going to score many points from inside your own half in this competition with the defences as good as they are."
It was the second successive loss for the Hurricanes on South African soil after they were outplayed by the Cheetahs the previous week.
"They are putting us under pressure and playing at the right end of the field. We need to rethink our strategy and trying to play with the ball in front of us," he added.
"Playing from inside your own half with defensive sides that are pretty tight these days it's difficult to break.
"We tried to take them on up front with the pick and goes but we weren't putting enough in and when it was going wide it was getting turned over or little handling errors crept in and we would turn it over and the pressure was back on us inside our own half. It's tough to get momentum in that regard."
The Hurricanes trailed 3-20 at half-time in Newlands after tries to Naqelevuki, fullback Joe Pietersen and No8 Duane Vermeulen.
Prop Brok Harris was next on the scoreboard before wing David Smith dotted down for the Hurricanes with 13 minutes to go.
Jacque Fourie, who had a strong game in the midfield, got the Stormers' fifth and replacement halfback Tyson Keats took a quick tap at the death and surged to the line for another Hurricanes consolation score.
While the set-piece improved from last week's wobbly effort, Cooper said the key to success against the Bulls next week would be getting quicker ball.
"The ball was so slow [against the Stormers] and then we become predictable," he explained.
"The boys did speed the ball up around the ruck area a little bit but once you've got ball that slow in a competition like this you become predictable, you then look lacklustre and your attack then goes.
"We need to have a look at the ball runner and the ball presentation at the cleanout so we can create quicker ball."