Bulls have their hopes on Longdrop

The Vodacom Bulls will “go with faith” that their utility back Jaco van der Westhuyzen will arrive in time for the start of the Vodacom Super 14.
Dearth of fit wings.

SuperSport

Van der Westhuyzen is still under contract at his Japanese club, NEC Green Rockets, until June but has negotiated an earlier release with permission from the club. However, the timing of that release will depend on NEC’s fortunes in the Japanese league and Van der Westhuyzen may miss the first game of the Super 14 on February 12.

The Bulls are currently struggling without many wings – thanks to the departure of Bryan Habana to the Stormers and a number of injuries which have caught them before the start of the season.

Ludeke has only two fit wingers at the moment after John Mametsa limped off with a strained hamstring on Friday. However, Mametsa’s injury doesn’t look too serious.

NEC are currently in the playoff rounds of the Japanese League, and beat Fukuoka Sanix Blues 33-5 on Saturday. This weekend they face Kubota Spears for the right to be in the All Japan tournament that ends the Japanese season. If they win, they will join the top four Top League teams, the top two university sides, the national club champion and the winner of Top Challenge Series 1 in the season-ending All-Japan tournament.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke remains hopeful that Van der Westhuyzen will join the squad rather earlier than later, but is respectful that it is NEC’s right to use Van der Westhuyzen for as long as they deem necessary.

At the moment, with Akona Ndungane only returning to action at the end of March, and Bok utility back Francois Hougaard also out for at least another month, Ludeke only has Gerhard van den Heever and young Stefan Dippenaar as his fit wingers in the squad.

Thus, he will be more than happy should Van der Westhuyzen make a return to training before the season begins.

“They (NEC) won on Saturday, so they’re through to the next round of the championship. With their next loss, he will be available. It is our understanding that they will release him then. So we go on faith that he will be back,” Ludeke told Supersport.com

“The worst case scenario is that he will be back on 13 February, meaning that he may miss the first game against the Vodacom Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.”

In other news, Springboks Bakkies Botha and Chiliboy Ralepelle both underwent their first conditioning sessions since their operations, with positive news on their rehabilitation.

► The Blue Bulls Vodacom Cup side ground out a tough 26-21 win over Russia in a friendly game at Loftus Versfeld yesterday.

The physical Russians were behind 21-8 at the break, but kept on hammering at the Bulls defence, and came away with a very respectable result.

The Blue Bulls side was made up of mostly under-21 players, with no Super 14 squad members taking part.