Injuries rock Currie Cup opener teams

NEWS: The Cheetahs and Bulls will get the 2018 season underway without a few key players.

The Cheetahs host the Bulls in Bloemfontein on Friday in the first round of a truncated competition.

Both teams have lost key players to injury.

The Cheetahs will be without the services of prop Charles Marais and lock Walt Steenkamp for the first two rounds of the competition.

Marais is struggling with a knee injury and Steenkamp is nursing a damaged shoulder.

The Blue Bulls played two Currie Cup warm-up matches against the Griffons last weekend and newly signed Sevens star Dylan Sage picked up an injury.

Sage injured his shoulder and after undergoing scans it was revealed that he is expected to recover within the next two weeks.

The squad welcomes the return of several players including Johnny Kotze, Aston Fortuin, Eli Snyman, Duncan Matthews, Tinus de Beer, Jade Stiglingh and Stedman Gans.

Marnitz Boshoff is still recovering from his knee injury.

The Currie Cup starts this weekend. The competition was launched at @SuperSportTV studios in Randburg and everyone in attendance agreed that it’s going to be a humdinger yet again, with no room for slip-ups, as every game will count! #wherelegendsrise @DirectAxis @NashuaLTD pic.twitter.com/5yDqouxan9

— South African Rugby (@Springboks) August 14, 2018

Despite the diluted nature of what is meant to be South Africa’s premier domestic competition, Bulls coach Pote Human believes Currie Cup is still the competition to win.

“Currie Cup is still the competition to win,”Human said.

“It is sad that it is one round, six games and then it is the semifinals and Final, so it is disappointing,” he added.

“All the players want to play and win the Currie Cup. That is something that is big for these players, especially the guys that aren’t playing for the Boks or going overseas, they still want to play in the Currie Cup.”

@rugby365com