The Vodacom Blue Bulls team to face the MTN Golden Lions in Pretoria on Saturday sees two changes from the one that beat GWK-Griquas at Loftus Versfeld last weekend.
At scrumhalf, Ruan Snyman will earn his first start, swopping places with Rudy Paige (who drops to the bench) and Bongi Mbonambi who will start at hooker in place of the injured Callie Visagie.
Former Vodacom Blue Bulls hooker Bandise Maku, who left Pretoria to play for the Lions and later the Southern Kings, returns to the team on the bench, whilst Jacques Engelbrecht will earn his first start for his new team should he be called upon from the bench.
Engelbrecht, a former SWD Eagles, Kings and Springbok Sevens player, comes in for injured Jean Cook.
“We have played well in patches this far and now need to produce a more lasting effort,” coach Pine Pienaar said on Wednesday. “The Lions have a lot of momentum and have played as a unit for a while now, so we will need to counter that by playing as a team. I am happy to call on the likes of Bandise and Jacques as they have slotted in very well and I am sure they will make a telling contribution off the bench.”
Vodacom Blue Bulls captain Jono Ross echoed his coach’s sentiments.
“We have improved every match and that is the pleasing part of our performances. We have not put together an 80 minute effort yet though and everyone is quite conscious about that. We have seen that when we play as a team, we are hard to beat, so our objectives are quite clear in that regard.”
Blue Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Travis Ismaiel, 10 Tony Jantjies, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Jono Ross (Captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Morné Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Waylon Murray, 22 Clayton Blommetjies.
Milestones:
- Jacques Engelbrecht will make his debut for the Vodacom Blue Bulls should he take to the field.
- Bongi Mbonambi will earn a first start for the Vodacom Blue Bulls after earning five caps as a replacement in the Absa Currie Cup competition.
- Ruan Snyman last started a match in the Absa Currie Cup on 8 September 2012, also against the MTN Golden Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
- Bandise Maku’s last outing for the Vodacom Blue Bulls was on October 9th 2010 against The Sharks in Durban.
Blue Bulls forwards not looking shabby, slowly coming together with Vleis Engelbrecht & Maku on the bench.
… Just need Frik Kirsten back in place of Werner Kruger as soon as possible..
Much better with Ruan Snyman starting at scrummie, still need to replace Tony Jantjies though with Handré Pollard soonest possible.
Think it would have been wiser to start with Clayton Blommetjies on the left wing, I think he is much better than Travis Ismaiel.
Super Rugby 2014:
1. Going into Super Rugby in 2014 my fears for the front row has largely been addressed, with Morné Mellet and Marcel van der Merwe at loosehead, Maku, Visagie & Mbonambi at hooker and with Frik Kirsten & Werner Kruger at tighthead.
2. Locks will be OK too, with Flip van der Merwe, Paul Willemse, Grant Hattingh, David Bullbring and even possibly using Jacques du Plessis as the locks.
3. High quality loosies there will be a plenty, with Deon Stegmann, Wiaan Liebenberg, Jacques du Plessis, Vleis Engelbrecht, Arno Botha, Jean Cook, Pierre Spies & Jono Ross.
4. Scrumhalves will be fine with Francois Hougaard, Piet van Zyl and in an emergency Ruan Snyman.
5. Flyhalves still a bother though, with Handré Pollard not up to speed yet and Louis Fouché not the world’s best.
6. Centres should be fine, Jan Serfontein, JJ Engelbrecht, Ulrich Beyers, Waylon Murray & Willian Small-Smith.
7. Wings are ok, Bjorn Basson & Blommetjies for left wing, Sampie Mastriet & old man Akona Ndungane on right wing.
8. Fullback is a bit light, with Jurgen Visser still subject to the odd brainfart, but Ulrich Beyers or Akona Ndungane could cover there… or even Clayton Blommetjies.
It is very important for these young players in the mix to use this Currie Cup to cement their places and get up to proper Super Rugby speed in performance and execution and to gel in the team invironment!
It would still mean 13 Springboks in the whole mix, notwithstanding that 10 Springboks have just departed from the Bulls….
Bulle kan ‘n goeie super 14 span kies uit hierdie groep, sal kompeterend wees, maar die baie groot probleem is losskakel. Jy wen nie sommer die superbeker sonder ‘n gevestigde en ervare losskakel nie, kyk maar na die afgelope paar jare:
2007: Hougaard
2008: Carter
2009: Morne
2010: Morne
2011: Cooper
2012: Cruden
2013: Cruden
Pollard sukkel nog om selfvertroue op te bou in 0/21 liga, en Fouche is Fouche. Bulle moes al hul geld uitgehaal het om Morne te kon behou het net vir die superseisoen, of ‘n ander goeie losskakel te kry wat nie reeds vas is nie, die Griek wou nie kom nie, die Afrikaans sou seker een te veel wees vir hom.
Daar is ook nie veel ander losskakels hier of oorsee beskikbaar nie ?
Bulle gaan van die 8 bokke wat weg is, Morne en Juandre die meeste mis, en dalk vir Jano. Die res is vervangbaar.
Jy kan by jou lys hierbo William Small Smith as buitesenter byvoeg, asook Bullbring op slot.
Kort eintlik nog iewers ‘n goeie sterk vleuel, as Hougaard nie bereid is om weer daar te speel nie.
2: super 14 = super 15
Bulls wont just disappear, this team is really not that shabby.
We must just accept that Morne is gone and be patient with our new #10
4 @ superBul:
BlommieBul, jy kan my nou bel oor daai Sharing dinge wat jy op jou Netwerkie wil doen… sal jou help.
2 @ ben-die-bul:
Ek het hulle so bygevoeg, dankie.
Ja, losskakel is ‘n daadwerklike probleem…
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