Flip to miss first half of Super Rugby

 

Van der Merve is only expected back on April 15 and his injury leaves a massive gap for the Bulls who are quite thin in the second row.

 

The lock had just recovered from a knee operation, but injured a pectoral muscle in pre-season.

 

The Bulls had a similar problem last season with injuries plauging a number of key senior players, especially in the second row, including Van der Merwe.

 

With the departure of young Paul Willemse to Grenoble in France, the Bulls will be forced to rely on veteran Springbok Victor Matfield more than they expected.

 

On a positive note, Springboks Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Handrè Pollard, Marcel van der Merwe and Adriaan Strauss will all return to Bulls training from next week onwards.

 

The Bulls squad assembled in Pretoria on Monday to prepare for the 2015 Super Rugby season, but a couple of senior players will only join the fray later this month.

 

Spies and Botha, who missed almost the whole of 2014 due to a bicep and knee injury respectively, will re-join the squad next Monday, as will fullback Jurgen Visser, who missed most of the Currie Cup campaign with a foot injury.

 

Van der Merwe, who recovered from a knee injury, will start on Monday as well team doctor Org Strauss confirmed.

 

Pollard (foot) and Strauss (calf) are due back on January 19.

 

Burger Odendaal (foot), Jaco Visagie (knee), Grant Hatting (ankle), Dries Swanepoel (Achilles) and Jason Jenkins (quad) will all join on Monday, January 12.

 

Props Basil Short (pectoral muscle) will be ack on Febuary 2 and Hencus van Wyk (knee) will be back on 28 February. 

 

Junior Springboks prop Pierre Schoeman is the only other long term injury and will be out for six months after sustaining a knee injury.

 

He will undergo an operation on Wednesday.