The Bulls have announced a nearly full strength team to take on the defending Champions this weekend.
Francois Hougaard and Johann Sadie is back in the Vodacom Bulls team that will play the Reds in a Vodacom Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Hougaard is available again after missing the Blues game due to suspension and Sadie has recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Cheetahs and Blues matches.
Their inclusions are the only two changes in the starting line-up for coach Frans Ludeke.
Hougaard replaces Jano Vermaak, who moves to the bench and Sadie will replace Francois Venter. Sadie will play at outside centre and Wynand Olivier at inside centre.
CJ Stander, who replaced Deon Stegmann shortly before the Blues match, will continue in that role with Stegmann still having discomfort from a strained hamstring.
Arno Botha is the new replacement loose forward in place of Gerrit-Jan van Velze. The 20 year old Botha has recovered from a back injury and proved his fitness for the Blue Bulls against the Pumas in a Vodacom Cup game last week. He will make his Super Rugby debut, should he take to the field.
Ludeke said the Reds will be their biggest challenge so far this season.
“They are the champions and that will be how high the bar will be set. We will have to deliver a championship performance if we want to beat them. The effort against the Blues was below par and we know that. We worked hard to be accurate on the weekend and to create and convert chances.”
Team (Super Rugby caps in brackets): 15 Zane Kirchner (57), 14 Akona Ndungane (70), 13 Johann Sadie (8), 12 Wynand Olivier (89), 11 Bjorn Basson (28), 10 Morné Steyn (92), 9 Francois Hougaard (31), 8 Pierre Spies (75, Captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter (3), 6 CJ Stander (3), 5 Juandré Kruger (3), 4 Flip van der Merwe (37), 3 Werner Kruger (61), 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (38), 1 Dean Greyling (18).
Replacements: Willie Wepener (43), Frik Kirsten (5), Wilhelm Steenkamp (39), Arno Botha (0)*, Jano Vermaak (75), Louis Fouché (3), JJ Engelbrecht (3).
The Bulls will win easily. Reds ragged
The Reds have no backline.
Bulls by 30 plus.
@ Loosehead:Yup, walk in the park for the Bulls this w/end. Nothing less than 5 points on the log will suffice
1 & 3 @ Just For Kicks:
2 @ Loosehead:
Hang on boys, the Reds are still Super Rugby Champs at present… they will be NO walkover!
4 @ GBS,
Ha ha, trying to put the brakes on GBS? Fact is the Reds battled to put the Rebels away, and the Wooden spoon contender Cheetahs put 3 tries past them. Reds without any recocgnised flyhalf, or goal kicker, and their best back Ione has been caged!
If Bulls don’t take this by plenty, there is something wrong. Remember your famous words, it’s a new year, therefore the Reds are Super Champions, but that was in 2011!
Bulls by at least 15, or be downgraded lol
4@ grootblousmile:
The Reds are crap man. And they will only have Genia in their backline.
Agree with Cheetah4eva, this Reds team are in disarray, this will be the easiest match the Bulls have to play. If they don’t walk it, there will be some seriaaaas questions asked
1,2,3,5,7: Julle ou snaaksies. Sharks sukkel om ‘n ‘depleted Reds’span te klop op hul tuisveld, en nou skielik moet die Bulletjies hulle 92-3 wen ?
Wat geld vir een span, geld seker ook vir die ander:
Jip, Stormers kon nie bonuspunt wenne kry teen ‘n swak Canes en verswakte Sharks en baie verswakte Blues span kry nie, so daar is ‘seriaaas questions’ wat hang oor die Stormers. En, as hul die baie verswakte Lions span nie ten minste met 50 punte wen nie, is daar nog meer vrae, niks minder as ‘n bonuspunt wen met 50 punte sal genoeg wees vir die Stormers nie, anders is daar groot moeilikheid in die Kaap.
En, die Saders is op ‘n nuwe veld, so geen tuisveld voordeel vir hulle nie, Makou is nog beseer, Saders is nie op vorm nie het al 2 wedstryde verloor, Carter gaan net 15 minute speel, die Cheetahs het laasweek gewen, so as die Cheetahs nie ten minste met 30 punte wen en ‘n bonuspunt wen kry nie, is daar groot groot probleme in Bloemfontein.
8 @ bdb:
Etzakkerly!
8@ bdb:
But, but the Bulls have won the S15 twice, are playing in blue jerseys, at Loftus against a Reds team that are playing away at altitude, down to their 4th best fly half, likely to use a lock on the wing, their best 2 attacking weapons are out, they have no recognised place kicker and have been playing shit all year.
Reds by 27 then?
10 @ Loosehead:
Not TWICE… THREE times… 2007 PLUS 2009 & 2010
Schoe, you boys are getting you’re excuses in early, well at least us non Bulls supporters have faith in you Bulls, even if your own supporters don’t – I want to meet the bloke who thinks the Bulls will win 92-3 – Respect, man, thats faith for you!
Just for the record, since I have been on this site, the Stormers have been slagged off as a team that would come last in the conference, the poorest team in the competition, and through all the light hearted banter, I have gone along. Therefore, with such a weak team as so oft suggested, should they, then, have beaten a weakened Canes side “with a bonus point”? Surely it should have been good enough just to win? I read before the match the some bloggers didn’t even think the Stormers would win at all, so just to win it in my book was good enough. The Reds team is a team in disarray – with the team they have, I would also expect the Stormers team to win big too. So lets have less of these feeble excuses, and some faith in your team
11@ grootblousmile:
My most humble apologies. The Bulls are indeed 3 times winners. And just another reason why this champion Bulls team will snot klap the Reds.
On another tack, Titans have taken 3 quick wickets in the Miway match against the Warriors, who are now 38/3 after 4.4 overs
12@ Just For Kicks:
Why do you think that there are so very few non Bulls supporters on this site?
Teams:
Blues:
15 Lachie Munro, 14 David Raikuna, 13 Benson Stanley, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Piri Weepu, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Brad Mika, 7 Daniel Braid (captain), 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Tom McCartney, 1 Tony Woodcock
Substitutes: 16 James Parsons, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Filo Paulo, 19 Sean Polwart, 20 Gareth Anscombe, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Hadleigh Parkes
Hurricanes:
15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (captain), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May/Michael Bent
Substitutes: 16 Motu Matu’u, 17 Michael Bent/Tristan Moran, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Brad Shields, 20 Chris Eaton, 21 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 Charlie Ngatai
15@ Loosehead:Sick of listening to excuses all the time? Nah, I think, to keep it fair, GBS only allows 1 in 10 non Bulls supporter in to keep it all even
15 @ Loosehead:
KAAAAKKKK, there’s quite a balanced blogger count amongst the SA Francises in recent times!
Just For Kicks wrote:
Should read – Nah, I think, to keep it fair, GBS only allows 1 in 10 non Bulls supporter to join the site as a member to keep it all even
Look, I spend a lot of time on this site. It is my favourite rugby site.
We have to be honest that we have lost a lot of bloggers who are WP and Sharks supporters.
The Lions supporters even started their own website.
Criticize the Bulls to your peril.
GBS, looks like you’ve got some weather up there, looking very dark over Centurion at the moment
….And Albie comes to the party, Warriors now 50/5 after 8.4 overs
21 @ Just For Kicks:
Raining cats and dogs and Cheetahs supporters here!
And the rain comes down at Centurion – bang goes my lazy afternoon of lying in front of the telly. I now have no excuse for not cleaning out the gutters!
23@ grootblousmile:Hahaha
25 @ Just For Kicks:
It’s a long rain here and look set to stay, so suppose Centurion will have much the same
I need some real help with my picks this week – Canes have looked hopeless all season, Blues worse, and now riddled with injuries. Rabble v Farce – do I go Farce as they trumped Tahs, but apart from that neither have looked the part? Tahs/Guppies – was going to go Guppies, but injuries now a serious issue for them too. Rest I’m going Cheetahs, Landers, Bulls and Stormers unless anyone can convince me otherwise
12: ons het geloof in ons span, realistiese geloof. Soos jou span afgeskryf is, so het die hele SA, veral die Stormers ondersteuners, gemeen omdat 6 van die Bulle se topspelers weg is, gaan die Bulle na 3 wedstryde onder op die log lê hierdie jaar, en deur almal getrap word. Almal buite Pretoria het ook gedink ons gaan teen die Sharks verloor, en die Cheetahs gaan ons in Bloem wen, maar toe nie. So ja, hul doen nie te sleg vir ‘n span wat ook voor die seisoen afgeskryf is nie. Wen of verloor teen Reds, dinge lyk nie te sleg nie.
15/20: Nee jong, dink dit is andersom: lyk my die ondersteuners van die ander spanne is soos hul spanne, kan nie bietjie vasbyt onder druk nie, mis so bietjie BBT (big blog temperament!). Klomp softies, want as jy net so bietjie kritiek teen hul spanne gee, dan word hul ‘n klomp cry babies: help, die bulle en bulle ondersteuners boelie ons ! Ag shame.
28@ bdb:
We call it the curse of the mocker gods.
For the first time ever the All Black supporters were humble going into the WC ,and the mocker gods smiled friendly apon them.
Hougie coming back will make the difference and this is the match up for the dominant no 9 in world rugby too. Those who think the Reds are a walkover are going to be surprised. Those who commented that they battled at home should broaden their thinking. Any SA team will battle to put away another SA team, the guys know each other well and very often players are thinking “Springbok” in the back of their minds. This is why the Reds battled against The Rebels. The season is settling down, injuries are taking their toll….depth comes into it now. I reckon Bulls by 7 they will be hungry after losing points at home last time out.
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