Injured Bulls fullback heads home

Bulls fullback Johan Roets will head home on Monday morning after sustaining a knee injury and will play no further role in his team's five-match Super 14 tour of Australasia.

The good news is that flyhalf Derick Hougaard, the team's match-winner in their historic 19-7 win over the Brumbies in Canberra on Saturday, is expected to be fit to face the Waratahs in Sydney this Saturday after having to leave the field against the Brumbies.

The Bulls arrived at their base in Coogee Beach on the outskirts of Sydney on Sunday.

Roets sustained an injury to the medial ligaments in his knee. Fortunately the injury does not look too serious, but it will still rule him out of action for up to four weeks.

He was replaced at half-time during the Brumbies match by Akona Ndungane, with Jaco van der Westhuyzen moving from the wing to fullback and Ndungane playing in his usual position on the wing.

Van der Westhuyzen is likely to take the fullback position again this weekend against the Waratahs, with Ndungane again staying on the wing.

The Bulls will not call up a replacement for Roets.

Instead, they are preferring to wait another week in the hope that either Frikkie Welsh or Wynand Olivier will be fit to join the team when they move to New Zealand.

Welsh and Olivier are both injured but could take their first steps back this weekend for the Blue Bulls' Vodacom Cup side against Griqualand West on Friday in Kimberley.

"Roets' injury does not look too serious but it will take two to four weeks to heal and it is probably better that he rehabilitates at home," said coach Heyneke Meyer.

"We aren't looking at bringing anyone out to replace him either because Frikkie or Wynand will hopefully be able to play again this weekend and then we will see. For the moment, we are thin at fullback because Stefan Basson is coming back from injury and he has been released to the Sevens squad. But luckily Jaco can take over this weekend. We just don't have many extra backs at the moment."

Marius Delport looks set to move onto the bench to provide cover the fullback, but this in itself is a bit of a risk as Delport has not had much experience at fullback except at junior level.

It could be a big ask to put the SA Under-21 international wing in at fullback at such short notice.

The Bulls are at least happy that Hougaard, who was involved in a nasty collision with a Brumbies player, will be fit to play.

The flyhalf scored 14 points in the 19-7 win and was the main difference between the sides with his pinpoint tactical kicking to control the game.

"It looks as if he will be okay. It wasn't a head injury as initially thought but rather a recurrence of an old shoulder injury.

"He looks like he will be able to play on Saturday," said Meyer.

The Bulls coach praised Hougaard for his professionalism after five weeks on the sidelines to come in and set the trend for the Bulls win with a drop goal in the second minute.

"I told Derick before the game I wanted him to land a drop goal or two and a penalty or two from long range and that this could be the difference between winning the game and losing it," said Meyer.

"He also played a significant part in the teams defensive effort by tackling his heart out."

The Bulls will begin their preparations with possibly the same 22 bar Roets.