The backrow news Rassie won't like ahead of Nations Championship
INJURY UPDATE: Bulls loose forward, Cameron Hanekom, will travel with the Springboks for the second leg of the Nations Championship, nursing a lower back pain niggle.
Hanekom featured for the Bulls in their 54-26 victory over the Scarlets in Round Five of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
He was substituted at halftime and replaced by club captain Marcell Coetzee, who had a massive impact on the game and scored two tries, which helped his side survive a late surge by the visitors.
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann revealed his thinking behind the substitution at the halfway point of the match.
He revealed that Hanekom had played through lower back pain in the first half, and they decided to hook him off to protect him in the second forty.
“He struggled a little bit with his lower back quite early in the game,” he said.
“We asked to push him until halftime, and credit to him, he hung in there, and he got to halftime.
“And then at halftime, obviously the medical team wanted to treat him, and I just felt that we don’t need that.
“We’ve got Marcell, so let’s just make it a straight swap just to protect him as well. He’s fine, but he was battling with his lower back.”
Hanekom featured in three of the four Greatest Rivalry Tests against the All Blacks and has impressed in the green and gold this season.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will be hoping the 24-year-old can shake off the niggle in time to be fit for the first Test against Italy next week.
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