Injuries ravage hapless Bulls
Another four players are unavailable for the final leg of the team's three-match tour – when they face the Sunwolves at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo on Saturday.
The Bulls have lost four of their five matches this season – their only win having been a 34-21 triumph against the Sunwolves in Pretoria last month.
Conrad van Vuuren, who joined the squad in Hamilton, injured his ankle in training and will return home.
Van Vuuren joined the tour in Hamilton as a replacement for John-Roy Jenkinson, who suffered a hamstring injury in the opening tour match against the Blues in Albany.
Van Vuuren will be replaced by Martin Dreyer for the Tokyo match.
Arno Botha, who started against the Chiefs this past Saturday in place of injured Hanro Liebenberg, is out with a knee injury and will also return home.
He is replaced on tour by Jacques Potgieter, who missed the earlier matches due to concussion.
Liebenberg is expected to be fit for the match against the Sunwolves.
Flank Ruan Steenkamp has picked up ear and knee injuries and will be replaced by Franco Naude, a midfielder.
Dries Swanepoel (centre) was earlier replaced by flyhalf Francois Brummer.
Piet van Zyl is also returning home due to a lower back injury.
Ivan van Zyl replaces him.
The injured players are all returning to South Africa via Auckland, while the replacements will fly straight to Tokyo to join the squad.
