Potgieter explains the freak accident
by Brenden Nel 20 February 2012, 11:24
There was no car crash, nor did he fall through a window. But Springbok and Bulls flanker Dewald Potgieter won’t be opening too many windows in future after the freak accident that cost him two months on the sidelines this past weekend.
Potgieter spoke to SuperSport.com after leaving hospital on Monday morning following an operation to repair three badly wounded tendons in his wrist and arm area, after he cut himself badly at a friend’s wedding in Port Elizabeth on the weekend.
The cut resulted in him being ruled out of rugby for between six weeks and two months in order to repair the damage caused.
But with so many rumours abounding about what happened to him, Potgieter spoke about what really happened on Saturday night at the wedding reception.
“It was really a freak accident, we were at the wedding and it was being held at a primary school hall,” Potgieter explained, “I was in the bathroom and I heard someone fall and then heard what I thought was Jacques’ (Potgieter, Bulls flank) voice.
“I tried to open the window, but it was jammed. It was a small steel window and it looked as if the frame had been painted over, but it could be opened.”
The next move was probably not his best, Potgieter says.
“I put my hand up against the pane of glass and tried to push it and it went right through,” he adds, “It happened so fast, I didn’t even see it coming. I felt nothing and then when I pulled my arm out there was a lot of blood.”
Potgieter was rushed to hospital where he underwent an operation that lasted more than three hours. He was asked to stay overnight in the hospital being released on Monday, and will head back to Pretoria on Tuesday to rejoin the team.
“The doctor did a great job in repairing the tendons that were damaged and it looks like no lasting damage was done. I’m just a bit frustrated because I was looking forward to playing on Friday.”
Potgieter joins midfielder Wynand Olivier on the sidelines, along with his namesake Jacques, who is also nursing a back strain.
His place is likely to be filled by either CJ Stander or SA under-20 captain Arno Botha.