There was no serious injury concern following the Vodacom Bulls win over the Toyota Cheetahs on the weekend, but a number of players picked up light strains, team doctor Org Strauss said on Monday.
Official Bulls media releases
Due to this Akona Ndungane (knee), Jano Vermaak (hamstring), Deon Stegmann (hamstring) and Jacques Potgieter (groin) will only train on Wednesday, but all should be available for their first time clash with the Kings.
Bjorn Basson and Francois Hougaard (both ankle) who was send back home from tour in Australasia due to injury, will also train on Wednesday and could play in PE.
The news that Frans Venter will be out for two months due to a groin operation this week, is offset with Wynand Olivier returning to the fray next week. The most experienced midfielder in the competition is recovering well from a knee operation.
The injury list as supplied by Strauss is:
Grant Hattingh (thumb fracture) 4 weeks, Wynand Olivier (Gr 2 MCL knee) 1 week, Marcel van der Merwe (PCL/MCL knee, ready May 6th), Zane Kirchner (finger operation) 4 weeks, Cornell Hess (ACL/LCL knee) 6-8 months, Francois Venter (Sportsman’s groin) Operation Wednesday (8 weeks), Jean Cook (ankle) one week.
Meanwhile there was some speculation this weekend about Arno Botha and whether he was on his way from the Bulls… here’s what the Bulls say about the issue:
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd would like to confirm that Springbok loose forward Arno Botha is contracted to the BBC till October 2014 and that talks about a possible extension of his contract beyond that has already started.
The comments by a SuperSport rugby commentator during Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Toyota Cheetahs that Botha will be leaving the union at the end of the season is untrue and not based on facts.
For more information on this matter, please contact the BBC High Performance Manager Xander Janse van Rensburg