Strauss to miss Polokwane clash

VODACOM Bulls hooker Adriaan Strauss will be rested for his side’s pre-season match against the Toyota Cheetahs in Polokwane on January 24.

Strauss, who captained the Toyota Cheetahs in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition for a number of years, will only return to action on February 9 due to a chronic calf injury, it was confirmed in Pretoria on Tuesday.

The Vanilla Gorilla was contracted by the Vodacom Blue Bulls along with fellow Toyota Cheetahs, Trevor Nyakane and Lappies Labuschagne, for this year’s Super Rugby.

Flyhalf Handrè Pollard will also not be in action in Polokwane, as he is recovering from a sprained foot, Vodacom Bulls team doctor Org Strauss said.

Lock Flip van der Merwe, who suffered a pectoral injury and will be back in April, as well as props Hencus van Wyk, who suffered a foot injury and should be able to play at the end of February and Basil Short, who was recovering from a pectoral injury and needed two weeks’ rest, are also not training with the squad.

However, the likes of Grant Hattingh, Marcel van der Merwe, Jurgen Visser, Dries Swanepoel, Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Burger Odendaal and Jaco Visagie all trained this week and can be expected to face the Cheetahs at the Peter Mokaba Sports Complex.