Currie Cup captain Nama Xaba among growing injury list at Bulls
· Citizen
The Bulls have suffered a setback early in their season and Currie Cup campaign with a growing injury list featuring close to 20 players, including Currie Cup captain Nama Xaba.
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The Bulls languish at the bottom of the Currie Cup table after a 24-10 defeat to Boland in Wellington and then a 56-26 loss to Griquas in Kimberley.
Coach Phiwe Nomlomo confirmed this week – ahead of their game against the Lions at University of Johannesburg Stadium on Saturday – that flanker Xaba had broken his finger and would be out for the rest of the Currie Cup.
Hooker Shaun Schuurmann and centre PA van Niekerk (both severe knee injuries) are also out for the rest of the campaign.
Van Rensburg to captain
“We saw Shaun leave the field pretty early. That’s his season pretty done for us,” Nomlomo said. ‘We also saw PA leave in the first half. Unfortunately, that’s also his season over.”
Nomlomo added that the captain’s absence was a particular blow. Experienced Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg will captain the team in his absence.
JJ Theron and Neil Le Roux have also been ruled out, while the fitness of Devon Williams remains uncertain heading into the weekend.
Bulls running three squads
Nomlomo pointed to the demands of running three squads simultaneously as a key factor behind the mounting casualty list, with players shared between the Currie Cup side, a group preparing for a fixture against the All Blacks in two weeks, and an U20 team that kicks off its own season this weekend.
“We’re servicing three teams at the moment,” he said. “So it’s all hands on deck, and we’re giving it our best shot in terms of trying to make sure that all teams are as competitive as possible. Our depth is really tested.”
Asked whether the Bulls would follow other franchises in calling up U20 players to bolster the senior squad, as the Pumas have done, Nomlomo confirmed reinforcements were on the way. “Everyone who was part of that world championship under-20 winning side comes back to us, and will be part of the 23.”