Bulls coach Jake White gives early Duane Vermeulen injury diagnosis

The Bulls once again came from behind to beat the Stormers, this time in a 31-27 victory at Loftus Versfeld, in a match which was marred by an injury to their captain Duane Vermeulen.

The Stormers got the early points on the board, racing to a 10 point lead before the Bulls crossed the line for their first try of the night through debutant Marcell Coetzee.

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The Bulls would then quickly find themselves having to rely more heavily on Coetzee than they, perhaps would’ve hoped to after only just returning to the field of play, from a long injury layoff. But when their regular skipper and talisman Vermeulen had to be assisted off the field, with a heavy limp, it was Coetzee who found himself assuming the captaincy on his first appearance for his boyhood team.

Injury to Vermeulen spoiling proceedings

As he limped off, it looked like Vermeulen had suffered an ankle injury, and the grimace on his face as he approached the dugout, was perhaps the first and most telling clue on the severity of the damage that had been done to it. Bulls coach Jake White seemed to concur with that, as he issued an early diagnosis of the injury to the media in his post-match conference.

Early diagnosis of Vermeulen not promising from White

“It doesn’t look too good, I need to say. Duane’s a tricky man and for him to say that he needs to return off. Clearly it’s not very best. We all know that if he’s sore, then it’s one thing.

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‘He did damage his ankle a few weeks in the past. I hope for his sake, clearly, he has ambitions of being chosen for the Springbok squad and taking part against the British & Irish Lions, that it’s only a minor twisted ankle,” said White

He still expected to be named in the Springbok squad

The timing of the injury is especially worrying considering the much-anticipated announcement of the 45-man Springbok squad to take on the British Irish Lions on Saturday, 5 June.

Vermeulen would still be expected to be amongst the names on new Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber’s list regardless, barring the injury being a long-term one.