Midfielder Jan Serfontein will make a first start in Vodacom Super Rugby when he takes the field for the Vodacom Bulls in their last overseas tour match against the Brumbies in Canberra.
Official Bulls Media Release
The 20 year old has played off the bench twice in his debut season, but now gets a chance to stake a more permanent claim to the number 12 jersey.
Serfontein swops places with Francois Venter, who will revert to the bench, as Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke made two more changes in the backline.
Jürgen Visser will start at left wing in place of Bjorn Basson, who has an ankle injury, while Mornè Steyn is back as pivot after Louis Fouchè got a start last week.
Up front, Grant Hattingh (broken thumb) is replaced by Juandrè Kruger, while Wilhelm Steenkamp, who flew to Australia earlier in the week as a replacement, will play off the bench.
Arno Botha, who was rested against the Reds last week, will be used as impact player ahead of Jacques Potgieter.
Deon Stegmann recovered from his hamstring strain to the leave the loose trio intact.
The team to play the Brumbies:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Jürgen Visser, 10 Mornè Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Pierre Spies (Captain), 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandrè Kruger, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Morne Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Louis Fouche, 22 Francois Venter.
Glad Serfontein will get a start, also very glad Deon Stegmann has recovered from his injury and will start at openside.
Why Frans Ludeke has this obsession with JJ Engelbrecht at No 13 and not just change with Mapoe at No 13 and JJ at right wing, is beyond me.
Also would have played Wilhelm Steenkamp at No 4 lock (even though he’s a better No 5 lock) in place of the lazy kid, Paul Willemse!
Great that Morné Steyn starts at pivot, he’s mush, much, much better than Louis Fouché!
One other change I would have made would have been to start with Arno Botha at No 7, with Dewald Potgieter on the bench.
Well, Bulls are giving themselves a fighting chance against the Brumbies, but one has to say that the Brumbies are the favourites and will most probably win this one.
1 @ grootblousmile:
Great to see Serfontein getting a start. Pleased to see Stegmann is starting, thought he would have been out injured for this game.
Think though Flip is a loss for Bulls was playing really well. Agree would play Mapoe at outside centre with JJ on the right wing. Also would start with Arno he is pure class.
Was thinking Bulls for this game, then thought with the injuries Brumbies even if they had to travel. Now not so sure as Bulls do have Stegmann. What you think? Brumbies will be tired have no doubt about that. Wonder if Mogg will start, thought he was a big loss for them.
Hope Bulls win this one but this is a 50/50 decision for me on bru. I am useless with those picks anyhow so not gonna worry too much about that this week.
Brumbies loosies are a handful, especially their number and 8 and with G. Smith playing so well, think Bulls should have started with Arno for this game.
Good to see Juandre back starting. Should have started last week.
A good strong team. Good enough to beat the Brumbies at home?
I hope so for the Bulls, and the overall log’s sake too.
Hoog tyd hiervoor!
hoog tyd dat hierdie belowende ster begin.beste jong binne senter in sa,
Jammer dat Arno Botha nie begin nie, SA se beste flank op die staium
According to his agent, Gert van der Merwe of PlayerLink, Potgieter hopes to join the Sanix Blues at the end of the Super Rugby season.
Potgieter made his Springbok debut in the third Test against England in PE last year. He came off the bench in the Boks’ opening match of the Rugby Championship against Argentina at Newlands and then started in Mendoza. But Potgieter was one of the casualties of the 16-16 draw with the Pumas and hasn’t worn the green and gold since.
He has played 17 Super Rugby matches for the Bulls.
Blerrie huursoldaat!
grootblousmile wrote:
He certainly have some obsession with that number, remember the previous years too.
Frans Ludeke have too many stolen talent at his disposal he don’t know which combo’s are the best so he guess every week and hope for the best.
Gbs, Where is the Team Sheet Article for this week? Wondering when the Brumbies will announce their team.
Still no Brumbies team announced. Jake taking a long time to announce his team. Could Mogg still be injured? Could be waiting on some players with niggles, who knows.
Just put in my bru picks. Think I made a mistake and should have gone with Bulls. Think Bulls will go all out in the first half like they done against the Blues and Brumbies against my Sharks. Bulls will want to blow them out the park that first half, them being tired it could work who knows. I see it going that way, should have put Bulls I have Brumbies though, been waiting the whole day for Brumies team, with them 9 hours ahead of us think we will only see their team announced tomorrow.
So these teams for a win:
Landers
Canes
Chiefs
Brumbies
Stormers
Tahs
13 @ Puma:
Forgot the Cheetahs there.
So teams to win:
Landers
Canes
Chiefs
Brumbies
Cheetahs
Stormers
Tahs
Sadly this why we will see only South African teams winning this once every 10 years or so. This why NZ mess us up year after year with the exception now and then. Every year we go whaaaa? What happened we go such a big talent pool why do we have SA sides normally scraping the bottom of a Super Rugby log.
We want to support each other when it comes to playing the opposition yet we sent teams against the opposition in with weak player pools. In 96 we were beaten to a pulp when NZ emulated the Ozzies and started franchises.
They did a simple thing. Take your best 120 players and devide them up equally to all teams. Were one team was weak in a department they sent players to strengthen it up. We did the same and those who were not used were pulled into other regions.
Z
But then some got selfish and use a front company to sign up kids by approaching them as a University offering the kids a education and a bursary in a course called rugby. Which made the approaches totally legal and as a loophole.
Now the best players in the ccountry or the top 150 is not playing Super Rugby. They arre playing Vodacom Cup and Varsity Cup and team like the Kings and Lions before them are sent in out of depth especially if the pick up 1 or 2 injuries. We are back at pre franchise era as the simple provinces trying to survive or do with. what they have. Now we sit in a conundrum where Super Rugby are eligible for Springbok selection and we sit with the best 90 or so players to choose from instead of 150 like NZ could do every year. Who are we kidding? Sad to see articles where it boast by sitting with half the Springbok loosies and half the U/20 team the won JWC. That is exactly what’s wrong and why we will get moered year by year by NZ. We keep on working against each other. No one is actually thinking about the more important aspect and what we try to improve and its our national team. It can’t be done sending in teams weak when others fill up their First to Varsity team with players which could have been needed else where.
@ Bliksem:
Well said Bliksem, great post!
(But you know us Saffas bru, through the ages we have been known as a nation stubbornly working against each other politically, economically, socially, culturally, ‘racially’; everyone wanting his own republic, church, farm, school, university, large home on a corner stand and of course, your own provincial sports team. Look no further than Boland and WP, e.g. players from Paarl and Maties playing for WP and so on.)
Bulls and Stormers to lose on Saturday, by the way…. oh, and the Queenies of course!
@ Pietman:
Good evening Pietman. I totally agree with you. I don’t care if one union steal or poach, kidnap or do what ever they do or run a human trafficking syndicate and ends up with all the talent. Good for them. Fair game its a professional era. But at least loan them out to the weak franchises or those who are in need. That way they pick up experience and we have a bigger pool of players to pick from. Much better to have your top 150 to choose from than top 80 or 90. Its sad that we had to import foreigners to help out where a player from somewhere else which Is a south african could have been used. That is why we see them run overseas so young.
15 @ Bliksem:
Very good post bud. I don’t often agree with you but here I do totally.
@ Bliksem:
die ding is sekere van die groot unies het die mentalityd van as hy nie by my speel nie moet hy nie speel nie,ek sal hom kontrakteer net om hom weg te hou van die ander unies
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