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Stedman Gans. (Gallo images)
- The Bulls will have to do without Stedman Gans for a large chunk of the Rainbow Cup.
- Team management confirmed Tuesday that the dynamic midfielder’s ankle injury suffered last weekend against the Stormers will require surgery, putting him out for 10 weeks.
- The Bulls, however, are well equipped to fill their void.
the Bulls ‘ accumulation towards Rainbow Cup suffered a severe blow with the news that Stedman Gans he will be marginalized for about three months.
The 23-year-old midfielder, who was still captain of the Blitzboks last year, has been one of the Loftus men’s best players since Jake White’s tenure began.
But a Covid-19 fight stifled his momentum in terms of form, which has now been compounded by an ankle injury he suffered in last weekend’s 34-29 win over the Stormers.
Gans underwent a scan Tuesday, which showed he suffered a torn syndesmosis, which is a joint held together by multiple ligaments.
Team management confirmed that the dynamic playmaker will undergo surgery on Wednesday.
Midfield was thought to be one of White’s thinnest areas in terms of depth during his squad’s intentional readjustment during blocking last year, but the Bulls’ mentor has proven to be a canny coach in that regard.
While Gans and the irrepressible Cornal Hendricks quickly established themselves as the Bulls’ first-choice center pair, former Junior Springbok stalwart Marnus Potgieter has received a decent number of opportunities and could easily replace Gans.
However, White’s true trump card will most likely be the versatile Marco Jansen van Vuren, who has been transformed from a scrum-half to a skilled utility runner.
The 24-year-old is no stranger to the number 13 jersey, having played at the position during the Currie Cup semifinal and final last season.
“He’s a really good rugby player. He’s got everything, size and pace and a great boot,” White said of Jansen van Vuren’s courage last week.
“He is too good a player not to keep him on our team.”
The Bulls travel to Durban to play their final game of the warm-up series against the Sharks on Friday night.
