Bulls rope in Stormers prop to bolster front row depth
SPOTLIGHT: The Bulls have confirmed the signing of veteran prop Hencus van Wyk, who will bolster their front row stocks in the United Rugby Championship and Investec Champions Cup.
Van Wyk joins the Bulls on loan from the Stormers, with head coach Johan Ackermann revealing that the deal will last ‘a couple of months’.
The 34-year-old has been roped in to provide cover for the injured duo of Mawande Mdanda and Mornay Smith, both of whom are expected to return to action later this year.
“We’re just in a bit of a shortage of tightheads at the moment,” Ackermann said after his side’s 57-15 win over the Lions on Saturday.
“Mornay is injured, Mdanda is injured, and our next jump is to look at 21-year-olds.”
Among those being considered for the future is 21-year-old Jean Erasmus, who has been training with the Bulls squad.
Ackermann believes the youngster has benefited from scrumming with the Bulls pack, but says Van Wyk’s experience could prove crucial over the coming weeks.
“Jean Erasmus has got so much potential; he’s in his phase of developing and learning.
“Especially this week, when we got back Gerhard Steenekamp, it was a great test for him when we did a bit of scrums.
“But we just feel that in the next couple of games, if we do need experience, if we need maybe to have somebody playing at tighthead, then Hencus can help us in that sense.
“He wasn’t getting game time, so he was available, and we’re grateful we could’ve loaned him for a couple of months.”
Van Wyk has already arrived in Pretoria and was put through his paces in a fitness test with other recruits before the Bulls clashed with the Lions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
