Curiously, in this instance it is perhaps adding injury to insult‚ as the Bulls suffered a freakish number of casualties in their 34-20 defeat to the Hurricanes at Loftus.

Hurricanes captain TJ Perenara remarked that it was the most physical game they had been involved in this season and the injury list certainly lends credence to his sentiment.

The Bulls are likely to be without No8 Hanro Liebenberg for the rest of the season after he departed the field with a serious ankle injury.

“Hanro is not good. He's bad‚” said coach Nollis Marais.

“He went to hospital for X-rays.

"It might be a broken ankle or a sindesmosis‚ so its not going to be good.”

Liebenberg‚ a former Junior Bok captain‚ has been unlucky with long term injury.

He had previously suffered sternum injury that kept him out of the game.

He wasn't the only Bull player lost in action.

Replacement back Ulrich Beyers had barely been on the field when he too was helped from the field.

“It's his calf muscle‚" said Marais.

"He was sprinting.

"Maybe he shouldn't sprint so fast.

"He's disappointed because he's worked hard to come back.

"He was on for about 20 seconds.

"Unfortunately these things happen.”

Beyers was on the field because fullback Warwick Gelant had limped to the sidelines.

“Warwick just said his knee is not lekke.

"He couldn't run and that's why we put on Ulrich.”

It was a brutal clash at times.

The Bulls had to rearrange their personnel‚ which did little for the cohesion of a side already low in confidence.

“When it goes wrong it goes wrong in a big way‚” said Marais.

“Jannes (Kirsten) had concussion as did Jacobie (Adriaanse) and we had to take them off.”

The Hurricanes weren't exempt from the physical trauma.

Even before the game they lost star flyhalf Beauden Barrett‚ while tough as teak flanker Ardie Savea looked dazed and confused when Tian Meyer's head clashed with his.

He too failed a concussion test which may yet impact his chances of playing against the British and Irish Lions. - TMG Digital/TMG Sport