Bulls and Bok centre set for ankle surgery

The Bulls have suffered a setback after South Africa centre Jesse Kriel was ruled out with an ankle injury that requires surgery.

Kriel, 25, sustained the injury in their Super Rugby derby defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town over the weekend, a match they lost 24-23.

Bulls team doctor Herman Rossouw confirmed the bad news, saying: “He has torn a ligament in his ankle and will undergo surgery later this week. He will be on the sideline for a period of six to eight weeks.”

Further blows to the Bulls squad come in the form of wings Divan Rossouw and Jade Stighling being ruled out for this week’s game against the Waratahs at Loftus Versfeld. However, centre Burger Odendaal has been given the all clear to play in Saturday’s match after an eye injury.

The Bulls are currently in second position in a fiercely competitive South African Conference, two points behind the pace-setting Sharks but the men from Pretoria have a game in hand on their Durban rivals.