It has been confirmed that Bok hooker Bismark Du Plessis will take 3 months to recover after surgery on his neck.
The big hooker had a growth surgically removed from his neck last Wednesday and will take no part in the remaining matches of the S14 . He is also likely to miss the tests against France and Italy as well as the 3 Nations.
John Smit will most likely revert to hooker for the S14, incoming tours and the 3N. The question to ask will be who will replace Bismark? At the Sharks they have the very undercooked and slightly overrated Craig Burden. The Bok answer is not as easy. Strauss is also injured, so is unavailable. That surely leaves only Liebenberg and Botha? Both have been fantastic so far this season. Lurking in the sick ward of a Pretoria Hospital is the ever injured favourite of Pieter De Villiers: Chilliboy Ralapele. Or will PDV go for the Bulls second choice Bandise Maku?
Out of the four I know which two I wouldn’t choose, but who will Snor choose?
Opportunities is scarce for the one you wont chose. 😆
Lets face it The 4th ranked one Bandise Maku, is there because the Bulls management feels he is good enough to be in the Bulls squad and the short run he had yesterday showed that he is getting very good in that structure. The S14 is tough and you cant really afford to take chances but i wont squeal if Maku is played and Gary gets a rest on the bench before the semi finals.
superBul
I wouldn’t quite go as far as to have Maku start yet, but I would definitely give him more than just 10 minutes per game. He should get 20 to 30 minutes until he is steady, before getting a start, so that might only come in the CC. I hear by some reports Chilli was quite hot again yesterday, but you know what it’s like. If you like your curry mild he might be hot from your perspective, but if you like the hot stuff, he might be rather ordinary. For my money, he has always flattered to deceive, and I’m a medium curry guy at best.
From a Bok perspective, given the current injuries, I reckon it’s a no brainer. Smit will slot in to start as captain, but Tiaan Liebenberg should be a shoo in off the bench on form, although no-one could complain if Gary Botha got a nod either. But somehow, the selectors will justify squeezing Chilliboy in there as always, and I suppose we could do worse, if only he’d stay whole! And he has had enough time warming the bench and collecting splinters, so he should know how to do that by now- he certainly has had enough practice at that, and at least that way he stays out of harms way.
Unfortunately this country has as yet not rid itself from racism.
Bandise Maku is a similar type of player as John Smit. Maku started his career at the Bulls as a loosehead prop. Liebenberg, Botha and Ralepele are more the Bismarck type of player. Base your choice on the type of player and the decision might be simpler.
Bandise Maku does a very good job for the Bulls in the process of physical overpowering their opposition.
Bluebeard , Chillyboy must rebuild his whole career. He had potential but the injuries killed him. But if he works hard there is some serious talent there. I just wish him a injury free time now. The rest he will have to do from scratch.
dWeeper, leave that race line out and just think Gary Botha. You must admit that the Bulls scrum looks 100 times better this year. There is only one change to the struggling front row. Gary Botha.
Would you as coach take the risk to drop Gary NOW. The fact is from the moment Gary started this year things were better. Sad indeed that other good hookers must miss a start but that is how it is and was always.
Even in Uli Schmidts days there was a reserve hooker of the Bulls who was picked as Springbok reserve, just cant get his name now(maybe Ewoud Malan). Thats how it turns out.
Sharks had something similar with John and Bismark.
DeWeeper, racism? What has that to do with Bismarks injury?
Bismarck is injured, you look for a replacement for him. The decision of his replacement will more then likely be based on colour rather than ability. That is written into law in this country and is a policy of many organizations as well. Simple as that, it is not my decision.
Loosehead he obviously want the Bulls to play one of Maku or Ralepele instead of Gary Botha.
It’s Gary Botha, Adriaan Strauss or Tiaan Liebenberg for the Boks now, and obviously the man himself, John Smith.
As long as PdeV doesn’t play Chilliboy again, that oke should never even have come close to Bok colours, he is barely Voda Cup material, imo.
Superbul, you missed the point. It is not what I want, it is how I see the selection will go.
I persolly stands for the best man for the job, but my knowledge tells me it does not happen.
Tiaan Liebenberg, Should get selected now that Bissy is getting over his op. John should play LH in the Tri-Nations.
Gary Botha should get selected too for cover.
Also all the best for Bissy to get better and hope no problem with the neck after this op.
10
Apology then, sorry
Du Plessis underwent surgery on a damaged vertebra in his neck on Thursday morning and Sharks head coach John Plumtree said on Saturday that early speculation that the combative hooker would be out for only six weeks was way too optimistic.
“The injury is far more serious than that and he is not expected to play for at least three months.”
Du Plessis will miss the Tests against France and Italy in June, and the first half of the Tri-Nations in July, but it is hoped that he will be ready for the home internationals against Australia and New Zealand in August.
The injury is similar to the one suffered by Schalk Burger in 2006 and the Springbok and Stormers flank spent six months on the sideline before successfully returning to the game.
In contrast to Burger, who went down with the injury during a Test against Scotland, the 25-year-old Du Plessis only became aware of the problem during practice last week when he battled throwing the ball into the lineouts. A scan on Wednesday revealed damage to a disc in his neck.
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