VIDEO: Jake's headaches amidst injuries and suspension
The Bulls’ United Rugby Championship victory over Leinster at Loftus Versfeld at the weekend has not come without setbacks.
Two stars are injured and another player faces a citing and likely suspension.
Cameron Hanekom limped off in the 47th minute of the one-point (21-20) win in Pretoria and was replaced by Marco van Staden.
The highly rated No. 8 just returned from injury for this match, after being sidelined since the win against the Stormers in February.
There is no denying that Hanekom is vital for the Bulls pack.
With his exceptional speed and never-say-die attitude, he delivers on every aspect of what is expected of a loose forward.
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Hooker Johan Grobbelaar, despite struggling with a sore shoulder, soldiered on until the 79th minute and was also one of the try-scorers.
Then there is the issue of errant wing Sebastian de Klerk’s red card for playing a player in the air.
The 24-year-old seemed to lose all sense of his mind when he took out Leinster’s Andrew Osborne – a silly act that almost cost his team the game.
There is no doubt that De Klerk faces suspension, most likely for several weeks.
Penalties
The last five rounds ahead of the play-offs are vital and the Bulls’ Director of Rugby Jake White has reiterated how important the next few weeks will be.
The Bulls don’t normally send out injury updates, so there is no knowing if Hanekom will be in action against Zebre at home at Loftus Versfeld this coming Saturday.
“He fell badly and twisted his lower back,” White said, adding: “It was just a fall and a spasm in his lower back.
“And when you are a racehorse like he is – because they are so athletic – they feel it more than other players.
“I don’t think it is serious. He is walking around now.
“But it has come at a cost because you can imagine, a red card [Sebastian de Klerk] and he will be out next week.
“Grobbies’ [Johan Grobbelaar’s] shoulder is sore.
“One of the things that is so tough about this competition, is every week we lose between two and three players.
“You either get a suspension or an HIA (Head Injury Assessment) or a long-term injury,” White explained.
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The Bulls still have a lot of rugby to play, and vital games are coming up in which they would want to hold onto their third spot on the log. To do this, they need their best players.
“If you work it out, what happens is you have 55 players with two and a half a week not available, after five, six weeks of consecutive rugby…
“If we win every game now, we’ve got 13 more Saturdays that we play, consecutively.
“So to have a bench like we did, can only be a positive.”
United Rugby Championship
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