The Blue Bulls have announced their team today to take on the Platinum Leopards on Friday evening. Die Blou Bulle het hulle span bekendgemaak wat Vrydagaand speel teen die Platinum Leopards.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls’ enforcer, Bakkies Botha, has made a full recovery after injuring his medial ligaments in the Vodacom Tri-Nations and was included by coach Frans Ludeke in his starting XV for Friday’s match in Rustenburg against the Leopards.
Botha is going to play in the second row besides captain Victor Matfield and due to the injury of Pierre Spies, Danie Rossouw was selected at number 8.
Spies injured some of his finger ligaments against the Griquas and will not be able to play on Friday but Dr Org Strauss is confident that the monster number 8 will be fit for the play offs.
As a result of Bryan Habana’s hamstring injury (he injured tendons in the upper part of his hamstring) Gerhard van den Heever regains the number 11 jumper, but Fourie du Preez will ease his way back into the team by playing off the bench.
Ludeke said at the weekly press conference which was held at Loftus on Tuesday that he kept the core of the team that played in the previous two matches unchanged because at this stage of the season continuity is of utmost importance.
“We know that we are in a semi-final and therefore our focus will be on our own game.
“We want to fine-tune some aspects of our game for the reason that everything must be 100 percent before we go into the play offs.”
Ludeke added that the Leopards have been playing some quality rugby during the course of the last month and he and his team aren’t expecting any favours from Chaka Willemse’s team.
“It is going to be very tough in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. The Leopards will take us on physically, but we will only focus on the goals that we set for ourselves.”
Matfield said that the Blue Bulls are slowly but surely starting to gel as a team and he was pleased with the improvement that the team has made since the Boks have returned.
“The most important thing is that we keep our heads for the full 80 minutes.
“We do not have a lot of tricks up our sleeve – our game plan will be more or less the same that we have become accustomed to over the years, but our goal will be to improve in the execution of that plan.
“Our defence will also be a focus area come Friday and we should refrain from making any stupid mistakes.”
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Die Vodacom Blou Bulle se Bakkies Botha het ten volle herstel van die kniebesering wat hy tydens die Vodacom Drie-Nasies opgetel het en is deur die afrigter Frans Ludeke in sy beginspan vir Vrydagaand se wedstryd in Rustenburg teen die Luiperds ingesluit.
Botha hervat sy vennootskap in die tweede ry met Victor Matfield en omrede Pierre Spies nie kan speel nie, sal Danie Rossouw die nommer 8-trui aantrek.
Spies het vinger-ligamente beseer en as gevolg daarvan sal hy nie teen die Luiperds in aksie wees nie, maar Dr Org Strauss is vol vetroue dat die groot agtsteman reg vir die halfeindstryd sal wees.
Agterlangs is Gerhard van den Heever terug in die nommer 11-trui omrede Bryan Habana tendons in sy dyspier seergemaak het, maar Fourie du Preez sal geleidelik ‘n terugkeer maak en om dié rede sal hy teen die manne van Noord-Wes van die bank af speelkans kry.
Ludeke het Dinsdag tydens die perskonferensie wat by Loftus gehou is, gesê dat hy sover moontlik die span wat die afgelope twee weke gespeel het, onverand gelaat het omrede kontinuïteit nou van aller belang is.
“Ons weet ons het gekwalifiseer vir die uitspeelrondes en daarom sal ons net op ons eie wedstrydplan fokus.
“Ons wil die kragmeting teen die Luiperds gebruik om hier en daar klein verstellings maak want wanneer jy in ‘n semi-finaal is, moet alles 100 persent reg wees.
“Maar ons weet dit gaan nie maklik wees nie.
“Die Luiperds het die afgelope maand by tye baie goeie rugby gespeel en hulle is glad nie ‘n span wat bang is om hard in te klim nie.”
Die ervare Matfield het bygevoeg dat die Bulle stadig maar seker besig is om lekker te “gel” en hy is heel tevrede met die manier hoe die span in die afgelope twee weke verbeter het.
“Ek dink die belangrikste is dat ons Vrydag vir 80 minute moet kophou.
“Ons is nie ‘n span wat met ‘n klomp tricks speel nie, maar ons wil dit wat ons doen al hoe beter doen en daarom moet ons van die eerste tot die laaste minuut gefokus bly.
“Ons gaan ook baie aandag aan ons verdediging skenk en ons moet konsentreer om nie enige dome foute te maak nie.”
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Vodacom Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier , 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp. Reserves: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Pedrie Wannenburg, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Fourie du Preez, 21 Burton Francis, 22 John Mametsa.
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In addition, the Blue Bulls Under 21 Team has also been announced, the team is as follows:
Vodacom Blue Bulls u21: Marnitz Boshoff; Deon Helberg, Stefan Watermeyer, Simphiwe Mtimkulu, Aubrey McDonald; Louis Boshoff, Danie Faasen; CJ Stander, Marnus Schoeman, Devin Oosthuizen, Cornell Hess, Willem Serfontein, Peet Vorster, Henri Bantjes (captain], Corne Fourie. Reserves: Zane Botha, Morne Mellet, Bêrend Botha, Jaco Fourie, Ignick Windvogel, Stephan Dippenaar, Gerrit-Jan van Velze.
Are these Bulls afraid of the Janne that they must pick their best team to play against them? :sidefrown:
Goooooooo Bulls !!
Gooooooooi Mielies !
1@Loosehead – Hey, it’s a practise game for the semi’s…
3@grootblousmile – Then they should play the game in Deben by the sea as the Sharks will be at the Groot Gat this weekend.
Just thinking of the Bulls / Sharks semi makes me happy.
4@Loosehead – You better hope and PRAY that your beloved Province grab their 5 Log Points against the Lions, cause 4 is going to be 1 too little….
@grootblousmile – Why should we pray?…We have a home semi in the bag, if we want to win the CC we will have to beat either the Sharks or the Bulls or both of them, be it in a semi or in a final. So the only real advantage to the 5 point would be a home final if we can win the Semi!….It seems the Bulls are WAAAY more nervous coz they dont want to play the Sharks!…lol
6@Polla – Yip, we respect the Sharks….
Number 12, you have registered and been APPROVED.
Kindly go update your PROFILE to include your REAL NAME and SURNAME (not visible on the blog at all) and start blogging !
@Polla – Nervous we might be but confident o yes for sure. Without being too arrogant , we have played the Crusaders in a semi and won, so nothing new to us.
9@superBul –
“we have played the Crusaders in a semi and won”
..
yep, its sure nice to have that kind of experience
Now I’m disappointed. I was expecting Bakkies to start at #10 🙂
5@grootblousmile – Dis ‘n bietjie vroeg om al onder die prop te wees. Waar het eke ooit gese dat ek ;n WP ondersteuner is? Nee sies man….:poop:
@Polla – Nee, ek dink die Bulls se grootste worry is Pukester wat moontlik die Curriekoppie kan vashou en kots op die bok trui in een jaar.
Ek dink daar gaan ‘n paar Bull supporters wees wat hulself gaan hang as dit gebeur. Goeie rede om vir WP te skree anyway :rotfl:
@isigidi – O fark die enigste Puke wat jy gaan sien is as hy weer soos n spietkop of liewer soos n bosluis aan daai maul van julle hang en Bakkies tref hom in die ribbes. :puke: :sick:
Op ‘n meer ernstige noot.
Bulls speel huls bes moontliker span teen die 2de :poop: ste span. Dis ‘n great idee en gaan vrugte afwerp. Dis eintlik perfekte voorbereiding waar kombinasies kan settle.
Bulls het duidelik reeds begin voorberei vir hul semi, waar ander spanne soos, WP, Sharks,Cheaters, Kwasse steeds net Saterdag se game in gedagte het.
Dis duidelik dat Bulls nie ‘n hel omgee wie hulle speel nie en voorberei vir whoever.
Great posisie om in te wees en ook ‘n great mindset imo.
12@Loosehead – Sorry Loosehead… dit was ‘n onverskoonbare en flagrante flater.
Ek vra nederig om verskoning dat ek jou ‘n WP ondersteuner genoem het…
Ek voel nou sommer uiters kakkerig… ek het NOG NOOIT iemand doelbewus SOOOOOOO SLEG beledig nie, nie eers my Ex nie….
:rotfl: :rotfl: @grootblousmile :rotfl: :rotfl: –
@superBul – Mmmmmmm ‘n Drie is ‘n drie, maak nie saak hoe dit kom en deur wie nie. Die feit dat WP bo aan punteleer is, is agv punteverskil en direk ‘n spin-off van Luke se spiekop en bosluis wees.
Kom nou Super, ek laaik die ou ook nokkol, but give due where due is justified. Dit werk en dit wen games.
Ek verbeel my daar was ok so ou in die verlede wat ook “gehaat” was oor die manier wat hy speel, maar gecheer is omdat hy games wen. Ignasius something?
16@grootblousmile – Apology accpeted. No sauce with that steak though.
@isigidi – 15
My enigste worry met Bakkies is n kaart of n siting
@grootblousmile – Vir wie support jou ex?
19@Loosehead – You know what confused me…. an Ingelsman does not usually shout Vrystaaaaaaaaaaaat….
Tell me, are you actually a born Vrystaater… and from where in the Vrystaat?
21@Loosehead – Fark, for all I care she can support Baberton Pappegaaie…
@isigidi – 18
Ek dink dit is die WP se grootste sukses storie die jaar, en ja hy beheer daai maul baie goed. Ek hoop maar die Leeus kan dit stop en ons n guns bewys. Hulle skuld ons n guns, nadat hulle ons onnodig in die :poop: gedrop het deur die 2de rondte game te wen, dit was mos nou heel onnodig van hulle.
@superBul – Isi soooooo snaaks nie! :shout:
As iemand bitter kak voor my ry… en my seun, BonzaiGBS is in die kar saam met my, dan sal ons dadelik op die ou skel en sê “Jou blerrie WP ondersteuner!!” of indien dit grens aan waansinnige bestuur voor ons, dan is dit “Jou blerrie sokkerondersteuner!!”
@superBul – 24
wou nog byse want nou ontneem hulle die land van die grootste skouspel , Loftus in sy volle Blou glorie.
Ek weet nie maar ek het tog so feeling dat ons tog n finaal op Loftus gaan he. Die groot storie gaan wees om die Sharks uit te skakel, en as ONS die Sharks moet speel gaan daardie moontlikheid groter word. Dit gaan about n Springbok showdown wees.
En Jis as die Bulle hul spelpeil van die 3N kan handhaaf dink ek ons manne is meer crucial, maar dis nou my mening. Maar imagine die matchups
FdP vs Ruan
Spies vs Kankovski
Matfield vs Muller
wynand vs adri
So kan mens aangaan
@superBul – Sal darem nie so vêr gaan om dit WP se grootste sukses storie te noem nie.
Ek het geswot saam Gert Smal wat op daardie stadium flank gespeel het en Andrew Aitkin 8 ste man vir WP.
Gert het sy gat af ge-moan dat Aitkin al die shine vang en los speel terwyl hy die grinding werk moes doen. Was lekker moerig. Pukester val in selle katogorie vir my. “n showeman per extraordinaire.
28@isigidi – Wat het jy geswot broer, BA Pandoor Verwyderaar?
@superBul – Speel Adri Geldenhuys deesdae senter vir die Sharks?
Jeez ek is agter…… 😀
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