Bulls lose Van Staden for quarters

The Vodacom Bulls have confirmed that they are likely to be without World Cup winner Marco van Staden for next weekend’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Italian side Benetton Treviso.

Van Staden left the field with an undetermined injury that still has to be assessed, but Director of Rugby Jake White admitted that he was unlikely to be available for the quarterfinal this weekend.

Van Staden recently returned from a knee injury and was starting to gain a head of steam. With regular captain Marcell Coetzee also out with injury, the Bulls will have to relook their loose trio for the quarterfinal.

They have options in Celimpilo Gumede, and Jannes Kirsten, but neither fulfill the classic fetchers role that Van Staden has given the side.

“Unfortunately at the back end of a competition, it starts to get tougher and tougher. It starts to get more and more physical as the margins get smaller. And it does come with the risk of losing a few guys,” White said after the game.

“I would think that a guy like Marco won’t be available next week but the others seem to be ok. They seemed like it was a bump and a bruise.

“But it’s always difficult. Tomorrow morning when you get up and get back home and you get to the medical room, things that you think aren’t serious can overnight flare up or swell.

“We’ve got Marcel back soon and we’ve used Mpilo Gumede. We are lucky that some of those guys have been part of the group the last couple of weeks,” White said.

Coetzee, if confirmed fit, could fulfill that role, as could Nizaam Carr, who was on the bench this past weekend.

The Bulls will name their side for the clash on Friday.