"The Vodacom Bulls received a setback right before their departure to Singapore on Tuesday when journeyman lock Grant Hattingh pulled out of the squad to face the Sunwolves with a groin injury.
Hattingh pulled up on Monday at the team’s final training session before departure and was immediately sent for medical treatment, but it was decided to rather not risk him on the trip with a long season ahead.
He will be replaced by Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, who made his Vodacom Super Rugby debut last year and hasn’t been seen in action yet this year. Janse van Rensburg was preferred to Marvin Orie for the trip.
Meanwhile, new recruit Renaldo Bothma is undergoing medical assessments on his foot injury and is expected to join the team’s training session when they return from Singapore next week.
Coach Nollis Marais confirmed he was looking for Bothma to join the campaign as soon as he is fit and settled in the Bulls set-up and the coach is particularly keen to use his go-forward ability to get over the advantage line.
“He has a lot of experience and is someone who I think is a very good ball carrier. Obviously he is doing medicals this week as he is coming back from a foot injury. We will see how it goes. We will get all the necessary medical clearances and all that but I think he will be a valuable addition to our squad,” Marais said of Bothma.
This leaves the Bulls in the enviable position next week when two of their stalwarts, flankers Lappies Labuschagne and Deon Stegmann, return from injury while prop Dean Greyling is also expected to be fit.
Bothma though, will need to catch up with the game plan and settle into the Bulls way of doing things before he is unleashed on the opposition.
“We need to make sure he gets into the system first, and see how it goes. We also have Steggies and Lappies making their return next week. With three senior guys coming back it is likely to make a huge difference, but he has to get used to our conditions and how we do things. But as we are an advantage team, I think he will make a huge impact,” Marais explained.
The coach added he was looking forward to having a selection headache at loose forward where Arno Botha, Roelof Smit, Nic de Jager, Hanro Liebenberg and Jannes Kirsten are also in the fray for selection.
“That’s good,” Marais laughed. “I want interesting selection dilemmas and that’s the thing. We’ve always said we want to strengthen how the Bulls want to be in the next four years and I’m not only looking this season but also for the future and I’m looking to build.”
The Bulls left for Singaport on Tuesday morning."
Hattingh is not a critical loss for the Bulls - they have better locks available. However, the rest of the info is positive and they will have a number of rea lly good players coming back from injury.
