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Another rugby player hospitalised after hiding illness from coach

Simphiwe Matanzima of Vodacom Bulls reacts after his side's defeat in the United Rugby Championship match between Ulster and Vodacom Bulls at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast. (Photo By Tyler Miller/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White revealed that prop Simphiwe Matanzima ended up in hospital after failing to alert the coaching staff that he was ill.

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Speaking ahead of their United Rugby Championship Round Three face-off with Irish province Ulster, White said Matanzima suffered from a viral infection that affected his heart.

In a situation eerily similar to Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the Bulls prop failed to inform the coaching staff that he was unwell.

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Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White reveals why one of his frontline props ended up in hospital

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Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White reveals why one of his frontline props ended up in hospital

White said that Matanzima might have felt pressure to play through his illness after Wilco Louw withdrew from the team to face Edinburgh last week.

The Bulls boss sounded a warning to other players that being duplicitous about their health could be very dangerous.

“He didn’t tell anybody, he just wanted to play,” White said.

“After the game, when he was sent in by the team doctor, the heart surgeon said he must stay in hospital.

“Instead of him saying to us he’s feeling a bit down, he just went on and played.

“Afterwards he said to the doctor that he was struggling to breathe.

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“In hindsight, I wish he had told the doctor because we would’ve looked after him sooner rather than later.”

White pointed out that they had experience of a player with a heart condition – with Springbok Cornal Hendricks being forced to take a hiatus because coaches and officials did not want to take the risk of playing him.

He eventually overcame the issue and made a comeback.

“When someone mentions a heart issue here, we jump and make sure he is ok.

“The doctor was quite disappointed that he didn’t tell him.

“I don’t want to get melodramatic, but we’ve had prop forwards die at Loftus Versfeld because of heart attacks.

“It just shows how young and naive the youngsters can be.

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“He got a bit of a fright and he’s not playing for at least the next two weeks.

“He’s been given the care that he needs and deserves.”

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Comments

1 Comment
H
Hellhound 179 days ago

The pressure of the professional era is hard. Competition is tough and keeping a place down in a team is getting tougher.

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Tom 48 minutes ago
No definites, but which Wales players could still make Lions squad?

Williams, Faletau, Lake, Morgan are the only ones who have a chance. None of them are guaranteed but I'd imagine they'll pick Williams and Morgan who could get in on merit and will likely be favoured for inclusivity.


Williams is fighting it out with Ben White for 3rd slot behind JGP and Mitchell.

Morgan is up against JVDF, Earl, Curry, Curry, Willis for 4 flanker slots. Morgan is a fantastic player but a huge call to leave any of those boys at home given how much Wales struggled at the breakdown against England. He's by no means solely responsible for that but it will be fresh in the minds of the selectors. Given the amount of hybrid players emerging and the inclination for a 6-2 split, they may be able to find room for a 5th flanker in the squad. In which case may be Ben Curry who misses out or Willis might be excluded given we have such depth in the players who have chosen to play for clubs this side of the channel.


Lake and Faletau are good enough but I'd be surprised if Faletau gets picked over Conan and Lake would be up against Cowan-Dickie which I can't see happening. Blair Murray is probably 4th in the 15 pecking order behind Kinghorn, Heenan, Marcus Smith. He may be a better 15 than Smith but Smith brings versatility so would be ahead of him. Since Smith may go on tour as a 10/15 hybrid, they would already have 3 fullbacks in the squad so Murray won't make it, good player though.


Nicky Smith and Dafydd Jenkins clutching at straws.

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