Forgotten Bok returns for URC club 10 months after 'catastrophic' injury

Elrigh Louw is set make his long-awaited return for the Vodacom Bulls this weekend, almost 10 months to the day since a “catastrophic knee injury” cut him down against the very same opponents he now faces.

The 26-year-old is to set be sprung from the bench against the Lions at Loftus Versfeld in Round 6 of the URC.

A player many have tipped as the next big thing in South African back-row stocks, the Springbok has endured a tough road back to full fitness. Back in January after undergoing surgery on his knee, he wrote on social media: “Long and uncertain road ahead… but I WILL be back.”

To date, the 6’5, 112kg back-rower has earned 13 Springbok caps across the Rugby Championship and the Autumn Nations Series. He also represented a South Africa Selection against Munster in 2022.

His last appearance came against Wales in 2024 not long before his knee injury against the Lions, adding to earlier caps earned in 2022 and 2023 where he mixed bench roles with a handful of starts.

His injury couldn’t really have come at a worse time. The Bulls regular had been making headway in a back-row department where Bok depth is arguably at an all-time high, meaning there was no shortage of players willing to step into the void he had left.

His Bulls comeback arrives via the bench in what amounts to a significant URC fixture for Johan Ackermann’s side.

Louw is one of five Springboks drafted in, with Akker van der Merwe also back from injury and Willie le Roux once again central to their ambitions.

Reinhardt Ludwig, whose overseas tour form with the Bulls did his reputation no harm whatsoever, continues with the captaincy.

BULLS TEAM:
1 Alu Tshakweni
2 Akker van der Merwe
3 Francois Klopper
4 Cobus Wiese
5 JF van Heerden
6 Jeandre Rudolph
7 Reinhardt Ludwig captain
8 JJ Theron
9 Embrose Papier
10 Keagan Johannes
11 Stravino Jacobs
12 Jan Serfontein
13 David Kriel
14 Sebastian de Klerk
15 Willie le Roux

REPLACEMENTS:
16 Jean Else
17 Sti Sithole
18 Mornay Smith
19 Jaco Grobbelaar
20 Elrigh Louw
21 Paul de Wet
22 Stedman Gans
23 Cheswill Jooste