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Johannesburg - Springbok prop Gurthrö Steenkamp got a welcome boost on Tuesday night when a specialist confirmed his broken arm had healed sufficiently for him to return to full contact with his Bulls team-mates.
Steenkamp, a highly popular 2010 SA Rugby Player of the year, has been working hard on the sidelines with Bulls fitness coach Basil Carzis on getting himself in tip top shape for the inaugural Super Rugby season next month, but has been unable, up to now, to take any contact for fear of aggravating the injury more.
On Tuesday evening, Steenkamp was examined by a specialist, who found the bone had fused sufficiently after the break, and gave him the all-clear to begin training again.
The news will be a significant boost to the Bulls squad who are hard at training to defend their title they won in Soweto last year in a convoluted new fixture system.
At this moment it seems the Bulls will start the season on February 19, barring any new injuries, with a fully fit and focussed squad. While some players may miss the two pre-season outings, the coaching staff will be more than happy with the way they have slotted in thus far.
While the injury list currently looks a lot longer than expected, a number of these are niggles, or final stage recoveries from off-season operations, with all players set to be ready by the end of January.
Boks Wynand Olivier (groin), Gary Botha (ankle), Bjorn Basson (ankle) and Pierre Spies (hamstring) are all in the final stages of recovery and should be fit in the next 10 days.
Forgotten winger Akona Ndungane will be keenly watched as he returns to the field after two broken legs that ended his last two seasons. Ndungane will only be cleared for action at the end of the month, but is already running at practice sessions and looking good to return to Super Rugby.
Bulls captain Victor Matfield is struggling with a neck and shoulder injury, but it is more a niggle than any real concern for the Bulls.
Others on the list of injured players include prop Rossouw de Klerk (grade 1 quad tear – 1 week to go) and loose forward CJ Stander, who is in the last week of recovery from a hamstring strain.
The biggest positive for the Bulls however, is the good news that their talisman Fourie du Preez, who missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, is fit and raring to go.
