I wouldn’t wish that on anyone
Vodacom Bulls and Springbok loose forward Elrigh Louw is back, and three months earlier than anyone expected.
Just ten months ago, he was staring down an injury so severe it threatened to end not just his season, but potentially his career. Now, remarkably, the 26-year-old is back on the field and in contention for selection for Saturday’s blockbuster north-south derby against the Stormers in Cape Town.
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The road back, though, has been anything but easy.
“I haven’t felt anything like that before and would never wish that on anyone,” Louw told News24, reflecting on the moment his season came to a sudden halt.
“Ja, it was tough and really painful. I obviously knew that I would be out of contention and out for the rest of the season and not being able to play for the Boks.
“That was the most difficult part to get over.”
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Initial fears were grim, with concerns over multiple ligament tears and even a broken leg. Louw has since clarified that while the injury was serious, the real damage was concentrated in the knee.
“It wasn’t quite a leg break, it was just bone bruising and stuff – it was just the (knee) ligaments that were off and the meniscus.”
Louw’s return could not come at a better time for beleaguered coach Johan Ackermann, who needs to get his Bulls back on the winning path after a tumultuous season so far – on and off the field.
Photo: Nokwanda Zondi/BackpagePix