Injured Springbok flanker Heinrich Brüssow could be back in Cheetahs colours before the end of the season – if his side makes it to the semifinals of the 2010 Currie Cup.

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The openside maestro made a stunning start to his Test career last year, but his 2010 season was prematurely – and cruelly – halted when he damaged the cruciate ligaments in his knee during the Super 14.

It was initially feared that he would be out for the remainder of the year, but the 24-year-old now has hopes of seeing some action in the Currie Cup.

“It’s difficult to say… because I get assessed every week to see what new exercises I’m ready to do. Hopefully, I’ll be ready in about another three months or so,” Brüssow said.

“I could be able to play at the back-end of the Currie Cup – in the semifinals if we get there… But that’s only if things keep going well with my knee.

Brüssow – a key man in South Africa’s series triumph over the B&I Lions last year, as well as their Tri-Nations success – is about to start running on the field this week as he builds up his fitness levels.

“I’ve been jogging on the treadmill for two weeks now, so everything is going well and the doctor is happy with my knee at the moment,” he revealed.

The injured star has made the most of his time away from the game, whilst also keeping active at the same time. He continued: “I’ve been enjoying some fishing in Durban and the Transkei, and I also had a chance to go hunting.”

“But I’ve also been gymming, to keep my upperbody strong, and also doing some extra fitness whenever I can.”

Brüssow’s foraging skills made him an instant Springbok folk hero last year, after terrorising opposition at the breakdown – not to mention his huge work-rate off the ball, too.

He has been sorely missed during SA’s current Tri-Nations campaign, with the Boks having no answer to the turnovers created by Richie McCaw and David Pocock on their winless tour of Australasia.

“David Pocock is a world-class player and I think everybody knows Richie McCaw – they will always be difficult to match,” Brüssow told this website.

But the breakdown is a constant source of frustration in rugby union – not just for the Boks at the moment – with many seemingly unsure of what exactly goes on when the ball goes into contact and the likes of Messrs McCaw, Pocock and co. somehow get their mitts on the ‘pill’.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup in Melbourne, McCaw admitted to pushing the boundaries at the breakdown… stopping just short of admitting to cheating, but saying: “I think the big thing is to understand where you sit and what you’re going to get away with and what you’re not.”

Brüssow revealed that his definition of a fetcher differed somewhat to that of McCaw’s.

“I don’t cheat,” he said when asked about McCaw’s comments – the All Blacks skipper having, of course, delivered yet another Man of the Match performance at the weekend.

“Sometimes I’m just unlucky,” he added. “If I’m busy stealing a ball and fall on the wrong side by accident, then I can’t get away when the referee sees me,” he explained.