Veteran Springbok fullback Willie le Roux is on the verge of signing a new contract at the Bulls.
Le Roux was believed to be headed for the exit door at Loftus at the end of the season but coach Jake White has given the clearest indication the player is likely to stay on for another year.
Le Roux, 35, who is a two-time World Cup winner and has 98 Springbok caps, will give White options at No 10, where Johan Goosen, Boeta Chamberlain and Jaco van der Walt usually operate.
“We didn’t want to resign him but the bottom line is he had an option to leave,” White said as the Bulls prepared for their United Rugby Championship visit to the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Le Roux, who was linked with a move to Bath, showed his prowess at flyhalf as he came off the bench to help the Bulls to a 35-22 win over the Lions two weeks ago.
“We get the rubber stamp by signing him because now we need him to go into that position and no-one is concerned about it. People are excited that he could play at 10 and that’s what is so nice.
“It means two years ago when we brought him back, that has worked in our favour. We have had a lot of good performances from him over the past two years.”
The Bulls have confirmed injuries to co-captains Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw, as well as flyhalf Johan Goosen.
Springbok lock Nortje, who sustained a knee ligament injury in the first half of the Jukskei derby, has begun his non-invasive recovery and rehabilitation programme. which is expected take about 10 weeks.
Goosen and Louw are going through a recovery programme.
Nortje and Goosen are expected to return to action in April before the Bulls travel to France to take on Aviron Bayonnais in the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 and a possible quarterfinal clash should the trip in Pyrénées-Atlantiques go according to plan.
