Fortune to smile at last on Flip?

Cape Town – He has been a bit of a forgotten man due to a succession of injury setbacks, but Flip van der Merwe’s green light for fresh activity comes at a convenient juncture both for the Bulls in Super Rugby and his personal quest to crack a Springbok World Cup squad for the first time.

The big, physical lock – 118kg, 1.98m – is back in full training for the Loftus-based franchise and will reportedly be considered for selection for Saturday’s home clash with the Reds (19:10 kickoff) as the SA conference-leading Bulls aim to return to winning ways in a hurry after their last-gasp heartbreak at the hands of the Lions in Johannesburg.

Whether he is deemed in good enough condition for a start yet remains to be seen; he has not played any competitive rugby this year while recovering from a pectoral muscle injury picked up in pre-season gym training. That, in turn, followed six months of prior inactivity after knee surgery.