Adriaan Strauss
Handré Pollard
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke made 7 changes to his starting team to face the Melbourne Rebels in a Super Rugby clash in Melbourne on Saturday. There are 3 changes in the backline that faced the Brumbies last weekend and 4 in the pack.
Jesse Kriel, Travis Ismaiel and Jacques-Louis Potgieter all move into starting positions off the bench, replacing Jurgen Visser, Bjorn Basson and Handré Pollard respectively. Visser and Basson will play off the bench, but Pollard will be rested for this clash.
Instead, Tian Schoeman, who joined the touring party on Tuesday, will be the back-up flyhalf on the bench.
In the pack, injured Deon Stegmann is replaced by Lappies Labuschagne, with Grant Hattingh moving to the bench to make way for Victor Matfield. The veteran lock will play in his 148th match at this level. In a straight swop, Jacques du Plessis starts at No 7 and Arno Botha moves to the bench.
Adriaan Strauss was only not considered due to the resting agreement with SARU, resulting in Callie Visagie running onto the field for his 50th match for the Vodacom Bulls in the No 2 jersey. Jaco Visagie will be on the bench.
According to Ludeke this is do or die for the team.
“We have not achieved the results we have hoped for this far on tour and we have to win this one to stay in the competition. In fact, we see this as a knock-out match. We cannot afford defeat and will go into this match in play-off mode.”
He is confident that the changes in the side will not impact their performances, especially as Pollard and Basson have started in all the matches so far.
“We have an excellent replacement in Pottie (Potgieter) as he has vast experience and is a proven competitor at this level. Bjorn is playing great rugby, but needs a break and Travis has shown his potential this far off the bench. It is great to have Victor back as the lineouts will be a key area for us,” Ludeke said.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Travis Ismaiel, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (Captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Lappies Labuschagne, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Bjorn Basson, 23 Jurgen Visser.
Date: Saturday 6 June
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-Off: 07:30 SA Time (15:30 AEST, 17:30 NZ Time, 05:30 GMT)
Referee: Nick Briant
Assistant Referees: James Leckie, Michael Hogan
TMO: Ian Smith
Blue Bulls to lose William Small-Smith:
The Vodacom Bulls stand to lose the services of another rising star in their ranks, as former SA Under 20 captain William Small-Smith officially requested permission to negotiate with other provinces.
Small-Smith’s contract ends in October and the talented midfielder is looking for a new home after minimal game time at the Bulls.
Small-Smith was in the initial Bulls squad, but an injury early in the season allowed Burger Odendaal to pass him in the pecking order, with the Bulls disregarding the form he is in when selecting for their Vodacom Super Rugby tour overseas. It is understandable that he would be frustrated at his development being stunted by not playing at Super Rugby level.
There is a lot of interest in Small-Smith from outside Pretoria, with both the Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs set to make offers when the negotiation process opens.
Currently Small-Smith cannot negotiate with any other province until 1 July unless given permission by the Blue Bulls Company.
It is likely the Bulls will try and fight Small-Smith’s decision by using a clause in the contract that says they have the right to match any offer, but as in the case of Bongi Mbonambi – who was in a similar spot last season before accepting a contract at the DHL Stormers – it will be difficult to keep him in Pretoria if he doesn’t want to stay.
If he does leave it will be another young talent lost by the Bulls because of lack of game time. Some inexplicable selections, including in the overseas tour squad, have meant that Small-Smith has played most of his rugby in the Vodacom Cup this year.
While he scored 3 tries in the quarterfinal win over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Small-Smith was not included in the touring squad, nor called up when fellow midfielder Jan Serfontein was injured, with the Bulls opting for Jurgen Visser to head overseas.
Ironically the Bulls struggle with depth at 13, with JJ Engelbrecht the only player they’ve used in the position all season, and set to be heading overseas to Japan at the end of the year.
Engelbrecht is still in discussions to conclude a return to the Bulls for next season, but if that fails, there is little cover at 13 with experience for the Pretoria side.
Marqiet September played well in this year’s Vodacom Cup but has yet to play both Super Rugby and ABSA Currie Cup while Jesse Kriel is the other option at 13, but has been playing 15 all season long.
Small-Smith referred all questions to his lawyer Gerrie Swart, who “elected not to comment on the truthfulness of the request to negotiate with 3rd parties before the transfer window, the interest in William from 3rd parties and that it is a given that William is leaving the Province.”
The Bulls High Performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg confirmed via message from Australia, where he is with the Bulls team, that the Bulls declined to comment on the matter.
(SuperSport)
Ludeke’s job under fire?
Despite the pressure mounting following their 3rd consecutive defeat on their Australasian tour and their subsequent slide to 9th place on the Super Rugby log, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said he could not afford to worry about his future at the franchise.
The Bulls faced their final match of the 4-week tour against the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday and would be desperate to avoid a whitewash.
“My mind doesn’t want to go there (possibly facing the axe), I am open minded about the whole thing but obviously I can’t make the decisions, so I don’t give it the energy because I have a job at hand,” an under fire Ludeke said on Wednesday.
“It is a must win for us and we owe it to ourselves and our campaign with what we’ve done at home also where we pulled it together.
“We were 2nd on the log when we came here, so we were in a very good situation and we played well.”
Ludeke said a few results on tour could easily have swung in their favour had his charges been more accurate and he was adamant they were the same side that went on tour as the South African Conference leaders.
In their tour matches against the Blues and the Brumbies, the Bulls lost by a 5 and 6 point margin respectively and could have won those matches had the bounce of the ball favoured them.
The Bulls have 2 relatively easy matches remaining in the regular competition against the Melbourne Rebels and the Toyota Cheetahs in Pretoria and can still clinch a playoff berth while also hoping for results elsewhere to aid them in their cause.
“I didn’t change from 4 weeks ago, I am the same person and the team is the same. We didn’t get the result and I will take the responsibility for that,” he said.
A defeat against the Rebels would certainly be the death knell to their campaign and even if they win both their last 2 matches but fail to reach the playoffs, Ludeke’s position could be in jeopardy.
Ludeke, whose contract with the Bulls expires in October 2016, said his fate lay in the hands of the Blue Bulls board that would be meeting next Friday.
“I’ve got respect for the people that appointed me and if they want to change there is nothing I can do about it,” Ludeke said.
“My job is to ensure we finish well, we are obviously in a situation that we don’t enjoy, we would like to be in the run and make the playoffs.
“That is why we will fight ‘till the last game to make sure because there is still hope, we need favours, but there is still hope.”
Ludeke said he had positive discussions with the board and his future and what was needed to make improvements at the union.
“We’ve got the board meeting on Friday in a week and then we will know, so I don’t want to preempt what will happen at the meeting,” he said.
(Sport24)
@ Victoriabok:
Pakslae sal ook werk
Van Bakkies gepraat, ek sien dis die 20ste herdenking van “The Battle of Boet Erasmus”
Hulle het mekaar goed gemoer
28: stem saam, kan nie glo die mense kla so nie, wat is volgende, gaan die refs die skuld gee ?
Volgende 2 weke wen die Bulle met bonuspunte, eindig 6de.
Daarna gaan ons Stormers, wat 3de gaan eindig, ore aansit op Nuweland.
Vlieg dan Australia toe om die Brumbies of Tahs te annilihate, en oppad terug stop ons in NZ om gou die Canes te rol vir nog ‘n superbeker.
Go Ludeke !
Go Bulle !
@ Ben-die-Bul:
Jy dink nou aan die Pumas, maar dit was Kimberley, Ellis Park en toe Nuweland toe
Ben-die-Bul wrote:
Daarna lui die wekker en jy word wakker
nortie wrote:
Jou bek is groot, as Boland julle nie ‘n guns gedoen het nie was Snor julle afrigter
Op n ernstiger noot, ek kan maar net wonder oor mense….die hele Bulls website is vol van mense wat ook aandring dat Frans gefire moet word, maar ek wonder hoe daai mense sal voel as ander aandring dat hulle afgedank moet word.
Op die einde van die dag is dit n man met n jong familie wat ander wens moet werkloos wees.
Moet my nie verkeerd verstaan nie, resultate is nie goed nie, maar as mens regtig daaroor dink dan verwens mense iemand wat hulle nie ken nie en hoop hy word gefire, sonder om daai persoon se persoonlike en familie omstandighede eers in ag te neem
36 @ Victoriabok:
Niks fout met Snor nie, hy het meer gewen by die Bokke as wat Heyneke sover kon….plus sy toesprake is ook baie meer pret as die gewone “we showed character” na n wen of “we must show more character” na n verloor
nortie wrote:
As jy nie die werk kan doen nie hoort jy nie in die posisie nie, dit is behalwe as jy in die regering is of ‘n hoë pos in ‘n Staatsdepartement het en ‘n “party member” is met of met die ambisie om ‘n fire pool te besit
Coaches word in alle professionele sporte gefire as hulle nie presteer nie
Ludeke is besig om sy swak prestasie by die Leeus te herhaal by die Bulle
As jy weet jy kan nie die job doen nie, moet jy nie die pos aanvaar nie
As jy bang is jy word gefire en jy gaan sukkel om vir jou toekomstige familie te sorg moet jy ‘n FL (pun intended) gebruik
nortie wrote:
As jy ‘n Wêreldbeker kampioenspan erf met Barney, Victor, Bakkies, Danie, Jean, FdP, Habana, Percy, JPP en ander almal in hulle prime met genoeg wedstryde onder die belt is dit baie makliker as om van voor af te begin
40 @ Victoriabok:
so dis ok as Heyneke dieselfde spelers wil gebruik wat Jake in werled kampioene gemaak het?
Maar nie as Snor dit gedoen het nie?
nortie wrote:
Nee, maar Snor het nie die volgende generasie deurgebring nie
@ Victoriabok:
Hy’t die Eskom plan gevolg, ry hom in die grond in en mmak dit die volgende ou se probleem
Victoriabok wrote:
En as HM in 2007 die pos gekry het?
Dink jy nie hy sou ook net so aangegaan het met Jake se spelers nie, veral omdat die meerderheid sy Bul spelers was wat hom sukses gebring het.
Hy sou vir John gepos het en Victor kaptein gemaak het, maar die bulk sou gebly het.
Sou iemand dan oor die volgende generasie gepraat het wat nie deurgekom het nie?
Watter spelers van 2007 tot 2011 was so goed dat hulle nou nog sterre is?
En wat nie n kans gekry het nie?
nortie wrote:
Ons sou meer wedstryde gewen het
Hy sou meer nuwe spelers deurgebring het
37: jy is reg Nortie, en dan is daar nog ander saffas in hierdie land wat dit durf waag om onse president met sy 10 vrouens en 100 kinders te wil afdank en wegjaag. Sies vir hulle, ek bedoel die man moet sorg vir al sy vrouens en kinders, ons moet sy ‘persoonlike en familie omstandighede eers in ag te neem!’
Viva !?
@ Victoriabok:
Geen manier om dit te kan maatstaf nie, jy dink hy sou, ek dink hy sou gehou het met Jake se span en n paar van sy 2007 Bulle ingebring het.
Maar die AB’s sou nog steeds beter gewees het omdat hulle beter spelers het
46 @ Ben-die-Bul:
Ben, dit is so, maar hoe gaan enige iemand se lewe nou beter wees as hulle genoeg gemoan het dat die man afgedank word en sonder werk sit?
Gaan die Bul ondersteuners beter slaap, gaan hulle met n smile instap by die werk op n Maandag?
Dis vir my iets wat ek nie dink die ondersteuners regtig oor dink nie, dis spring op die bandwagon en boicot Loftus, ondersteun die Leeus ens. want hulle verwagtinge word nie bereik nie.
So as Frans gefire word en sonder werk sit, lekker…kry vir jou, nou is ek happy.
En die volgende afrigter?
Moet hy dadelik die SR wen of gaan hulle hom, soos HM, toelaat om 0 games te wen in n seisoen tot hy oor drie of vier jaar die beker wen?
@ Victoriabok:
as ek so vinnig dink het die volgende spelers bokke geword onder snor,brussow,flip,beast,chillie,atter,dean,werner,flou,hougie,lambi,morne,odwa akona,mvovo,….
nortie wrote:
HM het die lang pad geloop en die heavy lifting gedoen om te kom waar hy is
Hy het op Tukkies afgerig terwyl hy ‘n student was
Hy het rugby afgerig terwyl hy ‘n onnie was
Hy het SWD afgerig en met min talent nie sleg gevaar nie
Hy het swak gedoen met die S12 Bulls maar dis te verstane want hy was onervare en die Blou Bulle was maar kakkerig op daardie stadium
Hy het die Vodacom beker in 2001 en die eerste Curriebeker in 2002 gewen
Gaan vergelyk bietjie sy 2002 Curriebeker span met sy 2006 span. Hy het die Cronje broers vervang met spelers soos Victor, Bakkies en Danie en sy kaptein Anton Leonard ook. Hy’t ook ‘n goeie maar klein senter van die Leeus gevat, hom vleuel laat speel en Habana het speler van die jaar gewor daar
Hy het die visie gehad om ‘n Todd Louden en die Brit in te bring om sy span se aanval en verdediging te verbeter en sodoende die S14 te wen
Jy sê dis Jake se span, ‘n groot deel van die core van die span was spelers wat Heyneke van O/20 vlak af grootgemaak het
48: Nortie, ek wens geen mens enige ondergang nie, maar ….. ok ok, dalk net die WP, haha !
Nee wag, laat ek regtig probeer ernstig wees – Ludeke lyk na ‘n vriendelike mens, ek wens hom en sy gesin net die beste toe, ek is baie lief ook vir kinders, en saam hom trots op sy pragtige tweeling.
Maar dit is nie waaroor dit gaan nie, dit is bloot feite en statistieke, in die laaste 4 jaar het die Bulle nie vooruit gegaan nie, verloor te veel goeie spelers, die spankeuses en wedstrydplan is horibaal, dit lyk nie goed nie. Sal graag wil sien daar kom verandering, so eenvoudig soos dit. In my oe was Nico Serfontein die volgende een om oor te neem, maar hy is ook weggejaag, dit is jammer.
Om jou vraag te antwoord, ons kan die nuwe afrigter ook dan 4 jaar gee voor ons hom necklase, maar 8 jaar vir een afrigter is bietjie te lank ?.
Ek weet jy sal graag Ludeke daar wil sien vir ten minste nog 20 jaar, sodat jul ons kan probeer inhaal wat groot regte super trofees betref, maar ons sien reg deur al jou planne, dit ganie werk nie !
nortie wrote:
Die AB’s sal altyd beter wees pomdat hule sentrale kontraktering het, en omdat hulle van kleins af vaardighede beklemtoon, nie grootte nie
Swak afrigters soos Ludeke en Snor sal nooit werk daar kry nie
Swak bestuurders soos SARU se huidige en voriges ook nie
Nieu Seeland rugby bestuur word ook aangestel vir rugby vaardighede en om die sisteme te verbeter
Nie omdat jy grys skoene dra en ‘n Broeder is nie
Ook nie oordat hy die beste klipgooier in 1985 was of die meeste vrouens op die paal gesit het in Tanzanië tydens exile nie
@ Ben-die-Bul:
Ha ha
Ek het geen SR planne nie, Stormers is eenvoudig nie goed genoeg om so n toernooi te wen nie.
Het Ludeke nie n drieling nie?
As julle ongelukkig is, dan dink net hoe moet die Crusader ondersteuners voel oor Blackadder
Ben-die-Bul wrote:
Stem saam Serfontein was die regte man om by Heyneke oor te neem
Ons het bekers gewen met John Wiiliams en Eugene van Wyk
En toe hulle ophou wen het ons hulle laat gaan
Dis nou Frans se beurt
53: nee jong, moenie nou al opgee nie, jou span het nog ‘n goeie kans, veral as hul op Nuweland speel.
Drie mees suksesvolle spanne in superrugby se geskiedenis lê in onderste deel van die super log, almal met afrigters wat baie sukkel.
Dink die tye is verby wat net een span gaan oorheers soos die Saders, spelers beweeg te veel, jy gaan geluk wees as jy meer as 2 titels kan wen.
nortie wrote:
Nee die eerste jaar moet hy sy voete vind miskien kwart of semi van Vodacom beker
Tweede jaar kwartfinale van CC
Derde jaar ‘n finaal en middle van die Super log
nortie wrote:
Ek weet nie hoeveel jaar het julle vir AC gegee?
56: klink vir my billik.
Dit is duidelik dat vir al die bulle ondersteuners, enige verandering nou ‘n goeie verandering sal wees.
Weet nie wat Bulle volgende jaar met slotte gaan doen nie:
Willemse reeds weg, Vic gaan aftree, Flip en JDP ook weg.
Net Hattingh wat terugkom, maar geen enforcers oor nie ?
Die jong ouens soos Snyman en Jenkins lyk na ysters vir die toekoms, maar nie nou al vir superrugby nie. En dan is daar nog politiek wat ouens soos Orie moet laat speel, eish.
Ben-die-Bul wrote:
Ons kan gaan leer by die Stormers en WP hoe om dit te doen
Hulle doen dit so goed dat hulle weer wit vleuels kan kies 😛
@ Ben-die-Bul:
Weet jy, dis nie net die Ludeke storie nie, ek sien elke dag op die social media hoe mense goed se wat ek nie kan dink dat hulle regtig so kan voel nie.
Vat nou die storie in vandag se koerante waar iemand daai 2 konstabels afgeneem het waar hulle in die van geslaap het.
Ja, hulle was stupid om dit voor n bleddie garage te gaan doen het, maar almal wat nou eis dat hulle gefire moet word, ek wonder of hulle weet hoe tipe workers daai ouens regtig is?
Dalk het hulle n paar moordenaars daai aand al van die pad af gehaal, dalk werk hulle regtig goed.
Ek sal vir jou lieg as ek moet se ek het nooit in my polisie dae n slaap gevang op n nagskof nie.
Mense is deesdae so gatvol hulle skryf goed wat ek nie glo hulle regtig die consequences van wil sien nie
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