Vodacom Bulls prop Marcel van der Merwe has been cleared to return to the playing field and trained with the squad, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.
The prop has recovered from a hamstring injury and ligament strain.
News on the injury of midfielder William Small-Smith has been less fortunate though, with the player being ruled out for at least two months with a foot injury.
He will join the long-term injury group consisting of Flip van der Merwe (pectoral, April), Pierre Schoeman (knee, July), Bandise Maku (pectoral, six months), Burger Odendaal (knee, four weeks) and Werner Kruger (ankle, three months).
Arno Botha will be out for another two weeks with his pectoral muscle tear, Strauss indicated.
Rudy Paige, Bjorn Basson, JJ Engelbrecht, Hencus van Wyk and Mornè Mellett will not train on Monday due to minor niggles, but Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg will be back after recovering from a AC Joint sprain.
Vodacom Bulls Fiksheidsverslag aangebied deur Medihelp
Van der Merwe terug op oefenveld
Die Vodacom Bulls-stut, Marcel van der Merwe, is fiks verklaar en oefen vandag saam met die span, aldus die Vodacom Bulls se spandokter, Org Strauss.
Van der Merwe het herstel van knie- en dyspierskete.
Daar was egter minder goeie nuus vir die senter William Small-Smith, wat weens 'n voetbesering minstens twee maade buite aksie sal wees. Small-Smith sluit aan by ander langtermyn-gevalle soos Flip van der Merwe (bors, April), Pierre Schoeman (knie, Julie), Bandise Maku (bors, ses maande), Burger Odendaal (knie, vier weke) en Werner Kruger (enkel, drie maande).
Rudy Paige, Bjorn Basson, JJ Engelbrecht, Hencus van Wyk en Mornè Mellett sal nie Maandag oefen nie weens ligte skete, maar Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg oefen weer voluit na sy skouerbesering.
And what concerns me is that Marcel is rushed back from injury to start at tight head To try and sort out our woes in the scrums.
Good thingh though to have Van Rensburg back. He must play at Lock.
15.J Kriel
14.Akona
13.Kriel
12.Serfontein
11.Basson
10.Pollard
9.Hougaard
8.Liebenburg
7.Du plessis
6.Lappies
5.Hattingh
4.Van Rensburg
3.Vd Merwe
2.Strauss (k)
1.Trevor
What do yo guys think, with this team we can rectify the *#_) the coach just needs to let the guys play THEIR natural game, then we should be able to pull this 1 out of the fire or it's the same sorry excuses from the fool after the game again.
Kaapse Groete
I dont think Kriel will play fullback if JJ is injured. Wikl have to wait and see on that one. I also dont think Ludeke will play Kriel in anyway against the Sharks at 15. He will bring back Visser.
Akona needs to be replaced by Ulengo, but if it means we can move Hougie to 9 then Id rather support you on this one.
I like your losetrio and the locks. Bring Steggies on in 2nd half. Bulls will habe more ball carriers with du Plessis at 7. And yes, I prefer Liebenberg at 8. Great frontrow.
I can go with Ulengo, but then FL must bring him more in the game, if we're gonna play a kick and chase, then I pick Akona,
15) J Kriel
14) Ulengo (Kort meer kanse, niemand weet wat hy kan doen nie)
13) Serfontein (Beter sokkies optrek)
12) Dries (as hy reg is) anders D Kriel
11) Basson
10) Pollard
9) Hougaard
8) Hanro
7) Lappies
6) Smit
5) Vic? Niemand anders?
4) Janse van Rensburg
3) Marcel
2) Strauss
1) Nyakane
16) Dayan
17) Callie?? Enige iemand anders
18) Dean
19) J Dup
20) Spies
21) Paige?? Niemand anders
22) JLP
23) JJ
Nou die span sal nie sommer teen ervare spanne wen nie, maar ons probleem le in die spelers wat ons verloor het and as die paar youngsters goed deur kom kan dit werk.
Miskies sal Ludeke dan gejaag word.
15. JKriel
14. A Ndugane
13. J Serpentine
12. D Kriel
11. W Basson
10. Have Pollard
9. F Hougaard
8. P Spies
7. L Labuschagne
6. G Hatting
5. V Matfield
4. J Duplesis
3. My vd Merwe
2. A Straus
1. D Greyling
Sterkte manne! Maak ons trots die naweek!
Hatting is a good player and made a mistake, i feel that he should be closer to the contact points and not out wide on the wing, this would have helped us win more contact points and we would have had Hougie or JJ out wide.
I still feel we have the team to beat anyone, however i feel the players are not playing as a team. We run away from our support and the support are unsure what lines they need to follow to suit the style of play, so it goes back to training, do the team understand who will do what. Strauss broke the line from a ruck and no one know where he was off to so no one followed him,,,,,, turnover resulted. Kriel broke the line more then once and had no support runners to take the offload, we are not used to playing support running lines and so we concede turnovers.
If an New Zealand team had any one of those brakes, i bet they would have scored not to mention if we had a wing instead of a lock running at the line we would have had a win.
For this weekend for the first time this year we will be the underdogs and rightfully so,,,wonder if this will be a defining weekend. Win or lose I remain a loyal Bulls supporter that will remain passionately blue, it a pity it might be the wrong shade. Would love to beat the sharks.
Go Bulls!!!!!! I am behind you BOYS!!!!!!! Go Bulls I saw enough so say the other teams must watch out!!!!!! All you need is the win over the Sharks to bring back the winning ways!!!!!!!
Bulls Forever!!!!!!
3 weeks ago we had arguably the best centres stock in the country with Jan JJ BO and WSS plus Dan Kriel as a back up.
But the clever management arranged a stupid game that till today we dont know the result ( other than the Bulls lost) and in 1 foul swoop took 2 of the centres out for the S15 campaign.
The plan was to rotate the 4 - that does not mean play all 4 on the same day.
Another idiotic decision by BBM and the coaches.