Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe is on his way to New Zealand to join the Springbok side for their remaining two Tri-Nations matches.
Van der Merwe, who made his international debut this season but was sent off following a yellow card for a cynical offence when he hit the ball from an opponent’s hands, was not initially selected for the tour.
However, the loss of fellow Bulls lock Bakkies Botha because of suspension has given Van der Merwe another opportunity to play international rugby.
SuperSport.com reports that Van der Merwe was on Wednesday morning summoned to join the squad.
He is not in the 22-man squad for this weekend’s Test against the All Blacks but may well find himself in the mix next weekend against Australia in Brisbane.
The Bulls have now lost four locks to the national side: Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Botha and Van der Merwe, who becomes the 12th Bulls player — including Botha — in the squad.
His call-up is a big loss for the Blue Bulls before Saturday’s important Currie Cup match against the Sharks in Durban. — Sapa