The Super 14 preparations of the Vodacom Cheetahs started on a sad note on Monday.
Sarel Louw broke his ankle in the Cheetah’s first field training session at Grey College. This is a big disappointment for Louw who led the Griffons to glory in the first division of the Absa Currie Cup. OFM Sport reports that Louw was part of the Cheetahs Super 14 plans seeing that he was a strong leader anda player with lots of experience in the absence of CJ van der Linde.
Van der Linde is no longer available for the Cheetahs after he decided to further his career at the Irish club side, Leinster.
Louw’s injury can open the door to a player like Albertus Buckle of the Wildeklawer Griquas to play Super 14 rugby. Some of the other props who the Cheetahs can pick from includes, Wian du Preez, Kobus Calldo, Coenie Oosthuizen, Ruaan du Preez, Bees Roux (who is currently on loan to Clermont) and Jean Botha