Injury Updates from the various Super Rugby camps:

Bulls

Bjorn Basson and Francois Hougaard will undergo fitness tests ahead of Wednesday’s team selection for the Vodacom Bulls Super Rugby match against the Toyota Cheetahs on the weekend.

Both have ankle strains and are hoping to recover in time for the Vodacom Bulls’ first home match in more than a month.

According to team doctor Org Strauss, a final call on the two players will be made on Wednesday morning before coach Frans Ludeke names his team.

Although Juandre Kruger, Paul Willemse and Dean Greyling did not train on Monday, all three should be considered for selection.

Akona Ndungane and Flip van der Merwe have already been cleared for the clash, leaving only Grant Hattingh (five weeks), Zane Kirchner (five weeks), Wynand Olivier (two weeks) and Marcel van der Merwe (three weeks) on the sidelines.

Sharks

Jean Deysel was set to train with the Sharks on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be part of the squad that travels to Cape Town to play a Vodacom Super Rugby derby against the DHL Stormers at the weekend.

Jacques Botes is out for a while after breaking his arm playing against the Crusaders last week, but that Deysel is “ready to go again” and will be in the squad if he gets through the training session with no ill effects from the injury that has kept him out for four weeks.

“Odwa Ndungane has a hamstring injury that makes him doubtful for the weekend’s game,”

“We’re sitting with quite a few injuries and Jean is the only player we are getting back at this stage.”

However, Plumtree has called for cover from the Lions, with loose-forward Jaco Kriel and wing/fullback Andries Coetzee also training with the Sharks on Tuesday.

“They’re down here to check the situation out and they will be training with us from this afternoon,” said Plumtree.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Plumtree noted that while like his own team the Stormers are struggling with an injury list that extends to double figures, there would still be a lot of talent on display in the match.

“They still have quite a few household names in their side, and they will be saying the same about us. What is alarming is that the two teams have a lot of Springboks that are out, more so than the Cheetahs and the Bulls. Yet there is still a lot of talent on display this weekend and I guess that tells us something about the depth at the two franchises and available to South African rugby.”

The Sharks team is expected to be finalized and announced on Wednesday. It is likely the three loose-forwards who finished the Crusaders game – Marcell Coetzee, skipper Keegan Daniel and Ryan Kankowski – will be joined in the match 22 by Deysel.

Stormers

Elton Jantjies was ruled out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Sharks at Newlands.

Jantjies injured his knee against the Toyota Cheetahs and Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, although optimistic over the weekend that he might be ready to play, confirmed the bad news that yet another player has been ruled out.

Jaco Taute, another former Lions player, is out for the rest of the season with a knee ligament injury.

“Elton is not available for this week but his injury is not as bad as some have perceived, and he will be ready to play in three weeks’ time. Hopefully that will mean he will be in the mix for our opening tour match. Elton has a medial ligament injury. It’s an old injury that he picked up, but fortunately it is not torn, there is just a bit of a strain.

“It has nothing to do with the chest injury that placed him in doubt before the Cheetahs game. He got through the game without any ill effects from that complaint, and he put in some good tackles. It’s just unfortunate that now he has injured his knee.”

Coetzee said it was unlikely that Rynhardt Elstadt, who missed the Cheetahs game because of injury, will be back for the Sharks game, and ditto Don Armand, who is struggling with a rib injury.