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Pretoria - The Vodacom Blue Bulls have been dealt a massive blow with the news that fullback Jurgen Visser has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
According to the supersport.com website, Visser injured his foot two weeks ago against Western Province and was allowed to take the weekend off against the Kings to recover.
While the medical assessment on Monday indicated he would be fit and ready to train on Tuesday and rejoin the team, more discomfort has seen the medical team review their diagnosis, and the fullback is set to undergo an operation that will see him out of action for at least the next four months.
Visser’s official diagnosis was a “sprain of the first MTF joint in the big toe” which has caused him massive discomfort over the past week. Seeing as he does a lot of kicking from the back, the injury would have affected his kicking ability as well.
The fullback was one of the few to have a decent game in the loss against Western Province, and the Bulls will want him fit and ready for next year’s Vodacom Super Rugby series.
In his absence, SA Under-20 star Jesse Kriel will have an extended run in the position now after an impressive debut last week against the EP Kings.
Teams:
Blue Bulls
15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13
William Small-Smith, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Sampie Mastriet, 10
Jacques-Louis Potgieter/Joshua Stander, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jono Ross, 7
Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann (captain), 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul
Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes:
16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg,
19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Ryan Nell
Western Province
15.
Cheslin Kolbe, 14. Kobus van Wyk, 13. Juan de Jongh (captain), 12. Jaco
Taute 11. Seabelo Senatla, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Nic Groom, 8.
Nizaam Carr, 7. Michael Rhodes, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. Manuel Carizza, 4.
Jean Kleyn, 3. Pat Cilliers (vice-captain), 2. Stephan Coetzee, 1.
Alistair Vermaak
Substitutes: 16. Neil Rautenbach, 17. Brok
Harris, 18. Ruan Botha, 19. Rynhardt Elstadt, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21.
Kurt Coleman, 22. Pat Howard
