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.