Brutally unlucky Springboks forward set for injury return after terrible misfortune during Rugby Championship
Jean-Luc du Preez in action for South Africa and Sale Sharks.
Springboks forward Jean-Luc du Preez is primed to make his Bordeaux-Begles bow after recovering from a knee injury suffered in September.
The 30-year-old joined UBB from Sale Sharks in the off-season but his debut has been delayed due to that issue sustained four months ago.
Du Preez could well feature in the Top 14 clash against Racing 92 on Saturday but, if it doesn’t come this weekend, he will almost certainly be available for the Investec Champions Cup ties with Northampton Saints and Bristol Bears.
‘A top level player’
“He’s been training with the team for the past three weeks,” Bordeaux coach Noel McNamara said. “I hope he’ll be available this week to play in the match.
“It will also allow us to rest some of the back-row players who have played a lot. I hope Jean-Luc can contribute, because he’s a top level player. He’s already shown that with the Springboks, the Sharks and Sale.”
Du Preez will hope for more luck than he had while with South Africa having missed out on the chance of representing Rassie Erasmus’ team.
The back-rower has consistently been on the periphery of the Springboks squad during Erasmus’ time in charge but, with them lacking options at number eight, he was given an opportunity against the Wallabies at the start of the Rugby Championship.
Illness forced him to withdraw late on but another opportunity presented itself when they took on the All Blacks. However, the aforementioned knee injury ruled him out of the Eden Park clash and the start of the northern hemisphere campaign.
It means that Du Preez remains stuck on 14 caps with his last Test appearance coming against Argentina in a 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up.
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Playing the biggest matches
He will hope that brutal misfortune does not continue as he begins his career with Bordeaux. The loose forward got himself back in the international reckoning with his displays for Sale and signing for the defending Investec Champions Cup champions gives him a chance to prove his credentials to Erasmus once more.
Providing the back-rower can become a first team regular, the 30-year-old will likely be playing in some of the biggest club games at the end of the season.
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UBB have endured a mixed campaign domestically, with seven victories in 13, but they are very much in the play-off picture.
However, they are well placed in the Champions Cup as the Frenchmen look to defend their title following successive victories over the Bulls and Scarlets to start their campaign ahead of matches with English duo Northampton and Bristol.