Vodacom Blue Bulls Currie Cup coach, Pine Pienaar, included three Springboks in his side for Saturday’s opening fixture in Absa’s Currie Cup competition against the Natal Sharks in Durban.
One of them, Gary Botha, will lead the side, while Akona Ndungane and Dewald Potgieter will provide valuable experience.
Corné Fourie will make his debut at loose head, with Jurgen Visser playing in his first Currie Cup match for the Blue Bulls as well.
Francois Venter and Lohan Jacobs, who both played for the South African u.20 side last month, has been included on the bench, as is former Blue Bulls u.21 captain, Marnitz Boshoff.
“This is a new team and we are keen to measure ourselves against the defending champions on their home turf,” Pienaar said.
He believes Botha will lead by example.
“Gary epitomizes what the Blue Bulls are all about and his experience and leadership abilities are well established. He has a big role to play in this team and I am very happy that he was keen to take the captaincy role,” Pienaar said.
Botha said it is important for the team to focus on the task at head immediately. “We are a proud union and a proud team. One of the critical issues for us will be to start playing as a team from the first minute of our first match and it starts on Saturday.”
The team is: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Akona Ndungane, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (c), 1 Corné Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Okkie Kruger, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter.
Apart from Aikona & Gary Botha, this is a very young and relatively inexperienced side…
OK granted, they have Dewald Potgieter & Derick Kuun as well, but still…
Hope Pine Pienaar is as astute as he’s been made out to be as a coach!
Verskonings voor die verloor?
Sharks kan dalk op hul moer kry. Ek hou nie van een van die 2 nie, so ek hoop dit eindig gelykop.
Bring vir Pote Human terug!
Maak dit regtig saak wie die bulle se coach is? Met Heyneke daar kan hulle nie verkeerd gaan nie.
Fark! Enigiemand wat Ludeke na ‘n goeie coach laat lyk, het my vote! Imagine wat Meyer met die bokke sal doen?
2@ Rugbyprof:
Nee, geen verskonings nie, net realistiese denke.
3@ Rugbyprof:
Kom ons gee vir Pine Pienaar ‘n kans… as hy met hierdie onervare span iets uitgerig kry dan is hy heel OK!
Ek dink daar is tans 17 Bulls wat rustende Springbokke en / of in die Tri-Nations Bokke squad is… dis blerrie baie. 4 voorry spelers – 2 loskoppe, ‘n haker en vaskopstut, 4 slotte, 2 loosies, 2 scrummies, losskakel, binnesenter, linkervleuel en heelagter… en ek dink Jaco Pretorius is beseer.
Bulle sal moet uithaal en WYS!
GBS, a large portion of that 17 won’t be there for the Bulls next year, so the Bulls depth will be heavily tested. Looks like these young guns will be showing us where the Bulls will be in the next couple of years.
5@ Lion4ever:
No, of the 17 only 5 won’t be there… Gurthro (France), Bakkies (France), Victor Matfield (Retirement), Danie Rossouw (Overseas), Fourie du Preez (Santori – Japan).
So 12 of the 17 will indeed play for the Bulls…
In addition Gary Botha will be in the UK (he’s not 1 of the 17 though) and Derick Kuun will go farm, if rumours are to be believed.
In the meantime the Bulls have already contracted Sadie & Engelbrecht…
So let’s analise how a Super Rugby squad at the Bulls might look like next year:
1. Dean Greyling (current Bok)
2. Chiliboy Ralepelle (current Bok)
3. Werner Kruger (current Bok)
4. Flip van der Merwe (current Bok)
5. Juandre Kruger
6. Deon Stegmann (current Bok)
7. Dewald Potgieter (recent Bok)
8. Pierre Spies (current Bok)
9. Francois Hougaard (current Bok)
10. Morne Steyn (current Bok)
11. Bjorn Basson (current Bok)
12. Wynand Olivier (current Bok)
13. Johann Sadie
14. Gerhard van den Heever
15. Zane Kirchner (current Bok)
Extra Players:
Hookers: Willie Wepener
Props: Rossouw de Klerk / Frik Kirsten
Locks: Fudge Mabeta / of daai Goliat swart ou van Tukkies
Loosies: Gerrit-Jan van Velze / Okkie Kruger / CJ Stander
Scrummies: Ruan Snyman / Dustin Jinka / Lohan Jacobs (u/20 Bok)
Flyhalves: Francois Brummer / Marnitz Boshoff
Centers: Stephan Dippenaar / Stefan Watermeyer / Small-Smith (u/20 Bok) / Francois Venter (u/20 Bok)
Wings: Akona Ndungane (ex Bok) / JJ Engelbrecht
Fullback: Jurgen Visser
So, I still count 12 Bokke in the starting lineup for next year… not too shabby, hey Nige!
5@ Lion4ever:
Now do the exercise and compare the experience and Bokke left over in the Bulls camp for 2012 with the Lions… still nowhere near comparable, then with the Cheetahs… still nowhere near comparable.
Now take it a bit further and see who the Stormers will be losing, then compare their squad with that which the Bulls will field… still more Bokke in the Bulls outfit.
Then take the Sharks, consider who they will lose due to player movements and possible retirements… and here’s the only team who equals the Bulls, at best.
Remember, the Australian and New Zealand sides WILL ALL lose players as well to the lucrative overseas club circuits…
To my mind, the Bulls still need to invest in a more than decent No 5 lock, 2 backup props [loosehead + tighthead] and possibly one wing backup and a fullback backup… but that’s it, then the ranks are full and filled again.
I would’nt mind if the Bulls bought Etsebeth, the SA u/20 lock…. that boykie’s got a mooooooooosa future ahead of him!
WP sits with the same problem, they are going to start the Currie Cup with only 7 regular Super Rugby starters – the whole front row, No 4 lock, Scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback.
… but think very carefully about it, the 4 okes in the tight 5 who remain, plus their Fullback (Jantjies) are some of the WORST POSSIBLE Super Rugby Players of 2011…
To my mind none of the 2 props or their backups would get a game in any of the other 4 SA Super Rugby Franchises, the hookers are good, Elstadt is average but OK, Duvenage is highly underrated and playing better and better and maturing very well, Peter Grant WILL be one of the better flyhalves in the Currie Cup… but Jantjies… daai ou het hulle in ‘n baberkompetisie gevang, met suurpap!
ek is n vrystater soos almal weet maar as ek na die bulle se o21,o19 en craven week spanne kyk is hulle redelik gewax vir die volgende 6-7 jaar,daar is natuurlik n jong man genaamd small-smith wat volgende jaar groot naam gaan maak
9@ smallies72:
Vir die 1ste keer in jare is ek ernstig optimisties oor die Bulls senters… daai Francois Venter mannetjie is netso belowend… en dan het die Bulls natuurlik vir Sadie bygekry.
So, dis Meisiekind & Sadie met die 2 Stefan’s en William Small-Smith en Francois Venter wat gaan veg dat dit bars om deur te breek in die big time in!
@ grootblousmile:
ek hoor daai twee greystaat senters wat die bulle gesink het in die cravenweek gaan bulle word
11@ smallies72:
Ek het ook so gehoor, glo KLAAR GEKONTRAKTEER en alles
Ek is ook versigtig optimisties oor die Bulls se Super15 span vir volgende jaar. Baie jong spelers, wat dalk gaan beteken dat hulle 2 of 3 jaar gaan neem voor hulle weer in die top 3 sal wees. Ten minste werf hulle die jong talent.
Vir Super15 sukses het mens egter ‘n goeie kaptein nodig en ek weet nie of enige van die groep Victor se bootse kan volstaan nie.
Op die paar wedstryde wat ek Watermeyer laasjaar sien speel het dink ek dat hy ‘n beter opsie as Olivier is. Hy beskik oor die talent om te breek en opponente aan die raai te hou en dit kan verseker beter geleenthede skep vir Sadie aan sy buitekant.
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