Bulls lose Cheswill Jooste to injury

The Bulls have suffered a setback ahead of their Champions Cup match against Northampton Saints, with young winger Cheswill Jooste ruled out through a shoulder injury.

The Pretoria side, already regrouping after their home defeat to Bordeaux Bègles, confirmed squad changes before travelling to England for Sunday’s fixture at Franklin’s Gardens.

Jooste, one of South Africa’s standout performers in this year’s World Rugby Under-20 Championship, sustained a shoulder injury that has ruled him out of selection.

The Bulls have not yet indicated how long the 19-year-old will be sidelined. His place in the squad has been filled by experienced wing Sergeal Petersen, who brings more than 250 first-class appearances and significant backline depth.

The Bulls have also lost prop Francois Klopper due to an infected toenail. Jean Erasmus has been drafted in as front-row cover for the trip. Meanwhile, the Lions have deregistered three players – Layton Horn, Janco Uys and Heiko Pohlmann – and replaced them with Marco Ferreira, Siba Mahashe and Siya Dube respectively.

The Bulls will be aiming to stabilise their campaign as they prepare for a challenging test against Northampton on Sunday.