Now Botha’s crocked
29 Jan 2006
Gary Botha could miss the Bulls’ entire Super 14 campaign, after damaging knee ligaments at Sun City.
The Bulls hooker left the field in the opening minutes of the main match, and while the media was initially under the impression he’d been concussed, they were informed about the knee injury at the post-match cocktail party.
Botha arrived at breakfast on Sunday morning with his knee strapped. He was unable to bend the leg when walking.
The Bulls doctor said Botha could be out for anything between six weeks and six months, depending on how serious the damage is.
Kobus van der Walt should now take ownership of the Bulls No 2 shirt, with Chilliboy Ralepelle on the bench.
This latest setback follows pre-season injuries to Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez.
66 Comments
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29 Jan 2006, 13:10 pm
These pre season matches was a disaster.
The Cheetahs has also suffered 2 vital injuries.
29 Jan 2006, 13:15 pm
yeah its problematic, shows you that to win you need strength in depth.
29 Jan 2006, 13:19 pm
now who is an idiot for saying the stormers should have played a full strength side against the bulls?
29 Jan 2006, 13:24 pm
True PA,
But they should have done what Rassie did. Play smaller foreign clubs in Europa, who will see the game as a friendly and not revenge.
29 Jan 2006, 13:34 pm
Who will be captain now? Cronje?
I would be way to scared to captain the bulls, i would rather be an ordinary player and atleast still be fit enough to play rugby
It’s turned into a voodoo, leonard got injured in the cc semis aswell…
Ooooohhhhh……
29 Jan 2006, 15:06 pm
in total agreement stan – i am still a fan of if this needs to be done, go play european clubs.
good question – who is next in line – jacques surely has not enough experience….
derick hougaard?
29 Jan 2006, 15:41 pm
Def not Hougaard. You need to pick a senior player with experience that will lead them through the whole season, preferably not playing for the Boks.V Scwhouenburg, JP Nel, Olivier, Roets.Bands would also be a good choice if he is fit.
29 Jan 2006, 15:47 pm
It will either be Cronje, Wannenburg, or B Botha. It has to be a player whose place is assured, and who others respect.
29 Jan 2006, 15:56 pm
This could be a boon for the Bulls. It could force H Meyer to pick Chilliboy Ralapele, who is destined for great things, and just might be their best bet anyway in the hooker position.
The Kiwis aren’t afraid to push their talented youngsters into the fray and niether should we be. After all did our youngsters not pip their NZ counterparts in the U21 and the U19 World Cups?
I’d venture as far as to say that Ralapele is in the top three of South African hookers even now, judging by what I’ve seen of him so far. The only weakness in his game is his scrummaging, and that will get better with time.
29 Jan 2006, 16:10 pm
Ralapele is an awesome hooker, and he played amazingly against people his own age and people 2yrs older than him.
I agree with harlequin, he is destined for great things, and remember, he only turns 20 this yr…
He still has another 2yrs of SA u21 rugby!
Olivier cant captain the bulls, this will be his first season of playing consistently for the bulls!
Can bakkies even think? How could he captain? I reckon wannenberg would be the best bet!
29 Jan 2006, 18:47 pm
The ideal would be a player that is assured of his place, (but not in the Bok team) for concistency.
29 Jan 2006, 23:57 pm
I look foward to seeing Chilliboy in the S14.
A) Because of his name
B) Because he is a rare talent already
C) Because then Jake can stop wasting everyones time and stop picking Shimmgane (spelling!?)
30 Jan 2006, 05:04 am
The Kiwi sides haven’t lost any key players for the entire S14 season due to injury in these pre-season entirely meaningless exhibition games.
I wonder why?
30 Jan 2006, 05:54 am
Even the SA cricket team playing an almost static game which has been scathingly described as little more than “organised loafing” appears to be entirely shattered by “injuries” while nothing like this appears to be happening to their international opponents!
Conditioning, anyone?
30 Jan 2006, 08:01 am
I think it’s unbelievably short sighted to see springboks playing additional games pre season. Aren’t we going to hear the same old cries of player fatigue with 4 games to go in the season?
30 Jan 2006, 08:03 am
The thing here is that the bull’s strong point is there line-outs, now they don’t have Matfield or Botha. They have 6 games at home and they have to win at least 4 out of 6 to make the semi’s. This will not be a good year for the bulls. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but call it like i see it. So know my hope falls on to the new boy`s Cheetahs….
30 Jan 2006, 08:16 am
hobo, don’t worry about the Bulls, we are going to kick butt again this year.
Remember, that although we have injuries,they are by no means broken legs and snapped spinal cords. In a couple of weeks from now the big boys will be returning to a side that is already awesome. The fit boytjies will start building momentum when we crush a woeful Cheetahs wannabe never going to be on the 10th and from then we will only get stronger as the injuries disappear.
The new Meyer of Pretoria is totally professional and has already implemented plans in case of injuries. And don’t forget there may just be a few mind games being played as well.
Come May we will be shouting for Die Bulle at Loftus and I’ll be knocking back a few cold ones in the old box.
30 Jan 2006, 08:21 am
Told you guys this warmup games are a waist of time and energy. This is not good for the Bulls.
30 Jan 2006, 08:27 am
Tackler is a bitter ex pat who left SA in the CHICKEN RUN years ago.
sad sack o ****.
30 Jan 2006, 08:28 am
Oh how I look forward to the Cheetas hammering the Bulls …. and its soon too.
30 Jan 2006, 08:32 am
“hobo, don’t worry about the Bulls, we are going to kick butt again this year.
Remember, that although we have injuries,they are by no means broken legs and snapped spinal cords. In a couple of weeks from now the big boys will be returning to a side that is already awesome. The fit boytjies will start building momentum when we crush a woeful Cheetahs wannabe never going to be on the 10th and from then we will only get stronger as the injuries disappear.
The new Meyer of Pretoria is totally professional and has already implemented plans in case of injuries. And don’t forget there may just be a few mind games being played as well.
Come May we will be shouting for Die Bulle at Loftus and I’ll be knocking back a few cold ones in the old box.”
Blue Blood, this comment will re-appear after the 10th, that is going to be fun.
Hobo skreeu Oranje – at least you will have an honest chance
30 Jan 2006, 08:55 am
LOL
Heyneke Meyer will have to earn his pay big time!!!!!
It is not looking good.Our lineout are all awol.
Saying that, everyone knows forwards are born in Pretoors.A couple months time and we’ll all be shouting……”Make that new hooker a Bok”
and the new lock
and scrum half
and…..eish, we’re in the ****!!
30 Jan 2006, 08:58 am
Looks more and more as if the Bulls are going to get a hiding on there first S14 outing. They must be a little rattled because of all the injuries to there star players.
30 Jan 2006, 09:02 am
Andre WP – agreed. They have allot of injuries at the moment and it looks like they are gonna lose 1 or 2 against the home unions… Writing is on the wall for the boneheads…
30 Jan 2006, 09:26 am
aaaggg foooookkk!!!!!
what a disaster. can’t freakin believe it.
will just have to blindly keep the faith…
30 Jan 2006, 09:27 am
kaplan is reffing the first game between the cheetahs and bulls.
blueblood, get ready for a loooooooong season.
30 Jan 2006, 09:29 am
Andre en Bigg,
Ek sien julle alweer lekker kak so vroeg in die oggend
30 Jan 2006, 09:35 am
PA,
that a fact? where can i see the schedule?
30 Jan 2006, 09:39 am
no jusm, just pulling the piss, but wont that just be the clincher!
30 Jan 2006, 09:42 am
Yeah – losing a lot of key guys and your B-team is so **** they even lost to the Sharks!
30 Jan 2006, 09:45 am
It’s all a big tactical ploy to keep the Bulls players humble and properly focused??????
30 Jan 2006, 09:46 am
Ja RobD
The Sharks are brilliant at winning the friendlies.
30 Jan 2006, 09:49 am
Stan
-and me
Am I talking sense?
30 Jan 2006, 09:51 am
Well – the B-team friendlies anyway!
Seriously, though. Chilliboy is a goos PBHS boy like myself. He won’t let you guys down.
30 Jan 2006, 09:54 am
Never mind….as long as Bakkies, Pak Slae, Wannenburg and Cronje we will still be able to compete.
Add in a frontrow with a lot to prove and a talented Dlulane.
We will still be able to compete.
With Matfield,Fourie, Bands and Steenkamp returning within a few weeks we’ll be ready to rock come crunch time!!
30 Jan 2006, 09:54 am
Blueblood
Spoke to Kaplan last night and he assured me the Bulls will not win their games if he is ref. He is pissed at you hounding him day and night!!
30 Jan 2006, 09:56 am
Ja…this might just be the Chillies lucky break…excuse the pun.
Although, personally, his body might still be too young for this level.
With the Bulls pack seemingly being a little disorganized at the minute…..our flyhalves will need to start playing well.Mediocre performances behind a dominat pack will just not be good enough anymore.
30 Jan 2006, 09:59 am
NON RUGBY RELATED:
Does anybody know where I can download a good Spyware program for Pop-up’s. This is getting out of hand… Geweet ek moesie na ‘daai’ site toe gegaan het nie…
30 Jan 2006, 09:59 am
kaplan can’t ref the first game. he’s unfortunately south african so it has to be someone neutral. if he is he won’t be anyway.
30 Jan 2006, 10:03 am
Blueblood
Should I tell him he is off your Christmas Card list??? He will be very sad.
30 Jan 2006, 10:06 am
Grrr
Win XP with service pack 2 should do the job nicely.
Or, download the web browser called firefox from http://www.firefox.com.
It has a built in pop up blocker.
Hope this helps :-0
30 Jan 2006, 10:06 am
grr – what sort of popups? Might be windows messenger spam…
30 Jan 2006, 10:08 am
SA refs usually ref the local derbies – except for last year was the first time i think a couple of games were reffed by international refs.
wasnt hougaard made vice captain for one of the games?
i know of one BB fan in particular that would love for hougaard to be made captain.
30 Jan 2006, 10:11 am
It’s mostly Casino’s that pop-up. I bought Xoftspy but it’s ****!!! Thanks snoop, will give it a try.
30 Jan 2006, 10:20 am
Rob D if you went to PBHS then how the f&*% do you support the Sharks??
30 Jan 2006, 10:30 am
All the teams are playing friendlys, Aus and NZ as well.
Tackler – having watched NZ’s walking wounded in the Chapel-Hadlee series, I feel you are in no position to compare. Shane Bond is permanently injured.
By the way, you’re also a plonker.
30 Jan 2006, 10:31 am
Stan
Ons praat maar net die waarheid buddy , die bulls is ons beste span en geen een kan daaraan twyfel nie. Maar met so baie beserings so vroeg in die jaar sien ek nie ‘n goeie begin vir hulle nie. Ek’s seker hulle gaan hulle staat makers mis aan die begin van die toernooi. Ek hoop maar net die ouens wat beseer is sal gou weer reg wees.
30 Jan 2006, 10:43 am
yup andre,
not good for the bulls – they have depth, but this will be seriously tested now.
**** they dont even know who will be their captain in 2 weeks time – must be awfully disruptive for the team and in practices.
30 Jan 2006, 10:49 am
Grrr…
Try avast spyware. same thing happened to me end of last yr. During Dec just b4 we had a yr end break i was working late and all hell broke loose. I know what you talking about…
You must stop visiting ‘those’ sites…
P.S. What happened to your beloved Lions team at newlands yesterday? Damn, i shouldve made that bet with you… BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
Neil Mckenzie is a tosser!!!!
30 Jan 2006, 10:56 am
jeez is WP cricket actually winning games for a change?
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