Die Vodacom Bulls se mees ervare speler nog, Mornè Steyn, is terug in die beginspan wat Saterdag op Loftus Versfeld teen die Sharks in ‘n Vodacom Super Rugby-wedstryd speel.
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Steyn het verlede week as plaasvervanger teen die Southern Kings begin om hom ruskans te gee na die toetsreeks, maar moes vroeg reeds inspring om Louis Fouchè te vervang na hy knieligamente geskeur het.
Steyn is een van drie skuiwe in die beginspan se agterlyn. Met Wynand Olivier nou in Frankryk, skuif Jan Serfontein terug na sy voorkeurposisie op binnesenter en JJ Engelbrecht dra sy gereelde nommerdertientrui langs hom.
Die Vodacom Bulls-afrigter, Frans Ludeke, het ook ‘n paar skuiwe op sy plaasvervangerbank gemaak. Jano Vermaak is weer fiks en vervang Rudy Paige, Callie Visagie en Willie Wepener ruil plekke in hulle rotasiebeplanning en Jürgen Visser word as plaasvervanger-losskakel ingespan.
Ludeke het ook besluit om twee stutte op die bank te kies en Mornè Mellett is ingesluit in die plek van Juandrè Kruger, wat Frankryk toe is.
“Daar was heelwat ontwrigting gehad met die beserings van Pierre (Spies), Arno (Botha), Louis (Fouchè) en die vertrek van Wynand (Olivier) en Juandrè (Kruger). Gelukkig het ons van die begin af geglo aan die diepte in die groep en ons pluk nou die vrugte,” het Ludeke gesê.
“Ons gaan te doen kry met ‘n Sharks-span wat speel vir oorlewing, so dit gaan ‘n harde een wees, want ons moet ook aanhou wen om ons doelwitte te bereik.”
Die Vodacom Bulls-kaptein, Dewald Potgieter, het gesê die fokus gaan in spanverband wees.
“Ons sal dinge as ‘n span moet regdoen. Niemand kyk verder as hierdie naweek en dit wat ons moet doen nie. Die Sharks kom hierheen met ‘n span vol ervaring en klomp gehalte-spelers. Ons moet dus in onsself, die strukture en mekaar glo. Wanneer ons as ‘n eenheid speel, vaar ons die beste.”
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Dewald Potgieter (Kaptein), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.
Plaaasvervangers: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jono Ross, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Jürgen Visser, 22 Morné Mellett.
In ander Bloubul nuus, die volgende:
Die vaskopstut Marcel van der Merwe speel Saterdag sy eerste wedstryd vir die Vodacom Blou Bulle nà hy van sy knie-operasie herstel het.
Van der Merwe is gekies vir ‘n Blou Bulle-span wat teen die MTN Golden Lions speel as deel van laasgenoemde se voorbereiding vir hulle uitspeelwedstryde in die Vodacom Super Rugby-reeks.
Die span word deur Pine Pienaar afgerig en sluit verskeie van die Junior Springbokke in wat verlede maand aan die IRR se Junior Wêreldbeker Kampioenskap deelgeneem het.
Die senter Francois Venter maak ook sy verskyning na ‘n lies-operasie hom vir ‘n paar maande van die veld gehou het.
Bloubul Span: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Jesse Kriel, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Travis Ismaiel, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Jean Cook, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Schalk van Heerden, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Dawie Steyn.
Plaasvervangers: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Christof Gouws, 19 Irne Herbst, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Ruan Snyman, 22 Tony Jantjies, 23 Dries Swanepoel, 24 Rohan Janse van Rensburg.
Juandre Kruger het ons bleddie lekker gedrop, kan nie glo dat n speler voor die einde van die seisoen die span verlaat terwyl hy so groot rol gespeel het nie. Erg SWAK van hom en ek wens hom nie eers voorspoed toe nie. Hy het self sy bedtjie opgemaak so hy moet maar vir homself kry.
OK dis af van my gemoed, bliksem
WO jy kan ook maar vir jou kry
@ superBul:
Kyk die verskil
Ben Smith has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby, the Highlanders and the Otago RFU for another four years.
According to Planet Rugby, the re-signing of the multi-talented Smith until 2017 is a major deal for New Zealand Rugby.
Smith, who has played at wing, fullback or centre, has received high praise from the coaching staff at within the All Blacks setup and was dubbed the “back of the Series” by All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen in their recent Test series whitewash of France.
He scored two tries in the series, looking electric at times whilst being solid in defence.
He has played in every Super Rugby match for the Highlanders this season and will look to add to this in the next four years.
“I have always been proud to wear the Otago, Highlanders and All Blacks jerseys and so I’m delighted to be re-signing with New Zealand Rugby for the next four years,” he said.
Smith is delighted to be plying his trade close to home.
“Growing up down the road from my Green Island club in Dunedin, rugby was the game I have always loved and I’m loving it still.
“I look forward to playing my part any way I can over the next few years,” said Smith.
Hansen was equally excited about the news and will hope Smith can maintain his form in order to add to his already vast wealth within the All Blacks backline.
“He is an exceptional footballer and a down-to-earth team man.
“He is a true professional, is constantly learning and works incredibly hard on developing his game and it has paid dividends.
“We are delighted for him.”
As things stand the Bulls have one hand on a home semi-final berth, but victories in their two remaining round-robin matches will make it a certainty.
However, the task could be complicated by a Sharks team that has a mathematical chance of still making the playoffs.
The coastal side currently occupies the ninth position on the log and victories in their final two matches coupled with results going against teams ahead of them on the pecking order could see them slip into the playoffs.
Ludeke said his side needed to be at the top of their game against the Sharks, who has a history of overthrowing the Bulls in the capital city.
“We will face a Sharks team that will be desperate, as they need to win to keep their play-off hopes alive, but we have also goals to achieve and to get there, we need to keep on winning,” Ludeke said.
Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter said while their victory over the Southern Kings over the weekend ensured that they have accomplished their first goal of the season, there were still improvements to be made.
“It is a nice opportunity for us this weekend to make one or two step-ups in our game and see how we do against a really strong pack,” Potgieter said.
“Against the Kings we might have been lucky on a few occasions come away being average in our phase play and we would like to make a big step-up.
“This weekend is an ideal opportunity to take stock and see where we are.”
Play-offs? Yes, that is a Sharks focus again now that the penny has dropped that 10 log points from the remaining two fixtures will get them to 52, which may just be enough to get them a top six spot. And it’s a position the Sharks have relished and thrived on in the past, so who says they can’t do it again.
At the start of each season the Sharks, more than any other team, appear to know how long the Super Rugby campaign is and there are times they appear to save themselves. Perhaps it comes down to having so many Springboks who won’t be taking a break during the June international window when some other franchises have a lot of down time and an opportunity to recuperate.
But as Bashford relates, put a gun to the players’ heads and tell them they are on a knock-out footing, and suddenly they’re razor sharp and they cook.
Come on Bulls you can help them. Put them out of their misery.
Bulls are due for a major wake up, i am scared. But our winning streak might not affect us to much this time because the personnel charged all the time. We are not playing with a tired bunch of players, unfortunate injuries thatcreated forced rest periods might just prove to be a good thing.
If we end 2nd it might just be the best.
To get 2nd place we need one win, Chiefs must beat Crusaders sending them to 6th place. That might mean the Chiefs will meet them (Crusaders) in the semis, not such a great draw.
@ superBul:
Do you not think it’s as much to do about the culture within SA (not necessarily Rugby culture) that is driving young people away?
We live in a country where we all know victims of violent crime, or have ourselves been victims, where as “previously ADVANTAGED” people our kids have little or no chance of getting jobs unless as parents we either have our own businesses or know people who do or have influence, where our kids are discriminated against when it comes to entrance to tertiary education institutes etc. etc. etc.
Sure, I’m damn sure the lure of the strong foreign currency has a lot to do with players at ALL levels going overseas, but surely other elements must also come into th equation somewhere along the line.
Oh, and don’t think the great trek North of SA Rugby players is confined to provincial quality players.
I personally know of 3 CLUB level players who have moved to the UK and play Semi-Pro Rugby in the lower leagues in England.
@ Scrumdown:
Yeah , you are right , this is not such a save place , but if we can get less people fleeing we might still have a huge impact. Zimbabwe ran dry, there was quite a few people there but i will be surprised if there are still 50 000 left, and only a few are economic active.
If we could stick together we might have a chance, but we let the spaces open and the Pakis, and Chinamen took that opening.
Anyway most South African rugby players do come back, with their pounds. And end up just as poor as most here.They could have kept their foot in the door here.
Look at GBS how he builds his empire , right here with hard work in a environment that he knows well.
7 @ superBul:
Empire…. me?
Hahaha
Call me GrootEmpireSmile or GrootBlouEmpire…. hehehe
But I get what you want to say… South Africa is stiil wildly untapped for anybody with imagination, hard work, ambition and sound business sense.
If you don’t have work in SA and cannot get any, you simply lack imagination and the guts to get out of the hole by yourself!
The grass is also not greener on the other side of the fence in the UK, Europe or Japan, because there you are forced to forsake what makes you proudly African, whether it be the loss of your home language, the braais, the weather, biltong, family, friends… or simple things like having a maid in the house or someone attending to your garden.
I am a man from Africa… and there are many good opportunities here for me and everybody.
@ grootblousmile:
Exactly
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