Duane Vermeulen
DHL Stormers No 8 and captain Duane Vermeulen consulted a neurosurgeon on Monday, after he was withdrawn from the past weekend’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Lions with a severe neck spasm.
Vermeulen suffered an intense spasm in his neck after last Friday’s captain’s run, with an MRI showing a bulging disc at a C5 level.
However, the DHL Stormers and Springbok star consulted a neurosurgeon on Monday and the prognosis was positive ahead of the upcoming Vodacom Super Rugby play-offs, with the DHL Stormers set to host either a quarter- or semifinal in the coming weeks.
DHL Stormers team doctor, Dr Jason Suter, explained on the www.iamastormer.com website: “Duane Vermeulen saw a neurosurgeon today (Monday) and the neurosurgeon has given us the positive feedback that he continues to improve and that he still shows no signs of specific nerve root irritation.
“After reviewing the MRI with his radiology colleagues, the neurosurgeon is confident that the disc bulge is old and has not changed from previous scans, and is not the cause of the severe spasm. He has recommended no surgical management and Duane will undergo extensive physiotherapy over the next 10 days.
“The neurosurgeon has also indicated that there is no risk of exacerbating the injury and feels that Duane will be able to play in the Super Rugby play-offs.
“The DHL Stormers medical team will continue to manage him, and he will obtain a 2nd neurosurgical opinion tomorrow (Tuesday) to ensure he is given all possible input to his injury and its management.”
Off topic but here’s an interesting read…
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/wallabies-2015-world-cup-jersey-slammed-online-20150610-ghk7jm
This is a tough one, AC is renowned for AC to push his players that extra yard, it is also his last chance, and maybe even Duanes last chance at the trophy, so from the perspective of a stormersdrsf supporter this must be great news.
However from a Springbok or even neutral perspective, this kind shocks me, we are not only going to see Duane risk going to the world cup… kind of have mixed feelings about this, however I hope he is completely ready for his own sake, and maybe its not as serious as it sounds, kind of feels like one of those football movies where the coach injects his best player with painkillers before the big game.
2 @ MacroPolo:
No big deal….chances are he will only play 1, and if we are very lucky, 2 playoff games.
Probably be 1 because as we all know the Stormers are chokers and only the Bulls know how to go all the way
@ nortie:
So the playoff game at home is the biggest risk of losing then? 😀
@ MacroPolo:
Well, it won’t be our first time now will it?
Brumbies beat the Bulls at Loftus a couple of years ago in the same game, and we were lucky to beat them at Newlands by a point a couple of weeks ago under a SA ref, so it will be more difficult this time around
@ nortie:
And if its the tahs you face a team that has traveled twice in 2 weeks.
@ MacroPolo:
Yep, but the Tahs should clinch second by klapping those useless Reds.
nortie wrote:
Even better, it was a semi & we went on to narrowly lose to the Chiefs a week later!
@ BrumbiesBoy:
Shurrup ludeke was the coach so 2013 didnt count 😉
@ MacroPolo:
It would be interesting to compare the comments made about Ludeke in 2009/2010 by some to those made now.
I’m sure they would have been singing his praises the same way they are telling everyone how kak he is 😆
nortie wrote:
Kak man, he walked into a winning team
Any moron would have won trophies with that team, actually Frans proves it
@ Victoriabok:
So, in 2009 those now “knowing” how shit he was, wasn’t singing his praises but in fact walking around telling everyone that he is a shit coach?
nortie wrote:
He’s a very average coach with one game plan
A one trick pony
Like Jake the Snake Lite, with no personality and without the hype and World Cup reputation to fall back on
A coach is only as good as his players and Ludeke’s players were phenomenal during that period.
Everyone was no 1 or no 2 in their respective positions in SA.
Many were no 1
The game plan was rock solid and worked every week.
Still, Frans has 2 titles…..
@ Victoriabok:
Yes, that’s easy to say now when the Bulls are not doing well.
I’m just saying that I doubt those Bulls supporters who are now so all knowing said anything even remotely bad about him in 2009/2010 and were probably telling all and sundry what an awesome person and coach he is and how clever the Bulls were to snag him
nortie wrote:
We knew he was ship when the Lions couldn’t get rid of him
We were surprised when the Bulls hired him in 2008
We’re not surprised that he’s turning the Bulls into the Lions when he was coaching them, mediocre, poor game plan and no motivation
@ Victoriabok:
Ok, I must just have missed all the posts where the supporters have been calling for his head during the years the Bulls won the SR.
nortie wrote:
Stop being a Tampon Test Pilot
A couple of years ago you guys wanted AC’s head when you were in a slump
The only difference is AC is actually a talented coach and has more than fertile Frans’s four brain cells
@ Stormersboy:
No! No!No!
That is why a coach is a coach.
To improve the players.
ryecatcher wrote:
Exactly
Like Ackermann did, he started with no-name players and no sponsors
Unlike Frans who accomplished nothing with a big union with deep pockets, major sponsors and Springboks and some of the most talented young players in the country to his disposal, once he was left to his own devices and had to build a team from scratch
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