There was still no official update on the injury statuses of Bulls co-captains Ruan Nortjé and Elrigh Louw on Tuesday following their blows to the knee each – but the Pretoria side are likely to face the Stormers next week without them.
Nortjé and Louw went off in the early stages of each half, respectively, in last weekend’s 35-22 United Rugby Championship win over the Lions at Ellis Park.
Nortjé was tackled by Lions hooker PJ Botha and still managed to his offload away to fullback Devon Williams in the fourth minute, and stayed down after his left leg buckled under him.
Louw was in a similar scenario in the 42nd minute in a tackle by Lions No 7 Ruan Venter, with the Bulls flank’s left leg also getting stuck under itself.
Director of rugby Jake White said after the Lions game that there would be more information after Louw went straight to hospital, while Nortjé would undergo a scan on Monday.
But while those results have not been released to the media, Louw posted a picture of him in hospital following an operation on his left knee, with the words: “In Oceans deep my Faith will stand. Long and uncertain road ahead, but I WILL be back. Thanks for every message and prayer.”
So, if they are both ruled out of the massive showdown against the Stormers on February 8 at the Cape Town Stadium (kick-off 2pm), those are two enormous holes White needs to fill immediately.
The fact that the Bulls will be missing a No 5 lock and blindside flank at the same time complicates matters, as there is one man who could be an excellent solution in both positions: young forward Reinhardt Ludwig. The 22-year-old Affies product played off the bench as lock cover last week, and duly replaced Nortjé early on at Ellis Park.
Ludwig did well to run the Bulls lineout in Nortjé’s absence, with the visitors securing all 12 of their throw-ins after a difficult few games where youngster JF van Heerden had to call the shots at No 5.
But Ludwig is more a specialist blindside flank at this stage of his career, and could play an influential role in the loose trio alongside the in-form Cameron Hanekom and Marcell Coetzee, who were again prominent against the Lions in every facet of play.
Perhaps the best option for White would be to shift the hard-working Cobus Wiese from No 4 to No 7, and bring back Ruan Vermaak at lock to partner Ludwig in the second row.
Wiese was also busy against the Lions, and is another lineout option at the back in an area the Bulls haven’t always been efficient in over the last few months.
The Stormers are there for the taking after an up-and-down two months in which they lost to the Sharks, Toulon, Harlequins, Racing 92 and now Leinster, while beating the Lions, Sharks of Durban and Sale Sharks of Manchester.
The Cape side are also feeling the effects of multiple injuries to big stars, with the latest to go down being flyhalf Manie Libbok with a knee problem in Dublin at the weekend.
A message from your MAN OF THE MATCH 🥹![CDATA[]]>💙@Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #ForeverBlue pic.twitter.com/HfFbWbJ4yk
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) January 25, 2025
So, having finally ended a seven-match losing streak to the Stormers last March, the Bulls will be keen to continue on a winning path after beating Stade Francais and the Lions over the last two weeks.
White will have to make another big selection call at flyhalf, where Johan Goosen’s knee injury saw Boeta Chamberlain starting at Ellis Park, but veteran Willie le Roux stealing the show with a second-half cameo.
The Bulls boss has said that he is “tempted” to continue with Le Roux at No 10 against the Stormers, but perhaps him coming on in the second half to cause havoc on attack may just be the way to go for the Pretoria outfit.