The Bulls will be without Kurt-Lee Arendse for the rest of their United Rugby Championship campaign. Picture: by Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images.
Bulls winger Kurt-Lee Arendse is now in a race to be fit for the Springboks’ July Test series against Ireland after sustaining a cheekbone injury in his side’s 30-23 win over Benetton in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals.
The 27-year-old scored two tries for the Bulls on Saturday before going off with an HIA (Head Injury Assessment) at the half-hour mark due to a clash with former All Blacks star Malakai Fekitoa.
Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, would reveal after the game that Arendse had sustained a cheekbone fracture similar to the one France captain Antoine Dupont had during the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
The former Springboks coach said their medical team was swift in finding a surgeon who can operate on Arendse so he can start his rehab and push to be fit for the international season.
“He’s going for an operation tomorrow, looks like he has fractured the bone in his cheekbone, when I say it’s not too bad, it’s a fracture,” said White.
“They’ll put a plate in and try to get him as quickly as they can, not because we’ll need him in the next two weeks obviously but to get him ready for the Test.
“Every kid wants to be in the Test squad, and credit to our medical staff; they found a doctor who will do him tomorrow morning early. It’s a little bit like the [Antoine] Dupont; he got injured and got the operation the next day.
“It’s always nice for our young players to know that the medical staff are trying to take his interest seriously and make sure he can get three within 3-5 weeks. At least then by the time the international window starts, he’s back,” he said.
Arendse is ruled out for the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship semi-final clash with Leinster on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld (kick-off 4pm).
The Bulls will also be without Springbok Canan Moodie who had an operation on his left index finger during the week.
White revealed that they might be boosted with the returns of loose forwards Marcell Coetzee and Marco van Staden for their Leinster clash.
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