Kurt-Lee Arendse joined the growing number of World Cup-winning Springboks either in a race against time or ruled out of the world champions' Test series against Ireland.
Having started the Bulls' 30-23 win in their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-final against Italian side Benetton brightly by scoring seconds into the game and in the 18th minute, Arendse went off in the 30th minute after a sickening clash of heads with opposition centre Malakai Fekitoa as he tried to tackle the former All Black.
Arendse was initially taken off the field for an HIA (Head Injury Assessment), but he would fail to emerge from the tunnel, having fractured a bone in his cheek.
Arendse will now go for surgery on Sunday morning to fix the break in what the Bulls' director of rugby, Jake White, hopes will give him an Antoine Dupont-esque chance at a speedy enough recovery to line up against the Irish in July.
FIRST TAKE | Bulls nervy in win over Benetton but live to fight another day in URC semi-finals
