The Bulls have made two changes to the team that lost to the Chiefs in Hamilton last week, ahead of their clash with the Stormers in Pretoria on Saturday.
Vodacom Bulls lock Juandrè Kruger and outside centre JJ Engelbrecht will make a return to the starting line-up of the Pretoria team for their Super Rugby clash against the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Both men started their provincial careers in Cape Town, but have since established themselves as real assets to the Bulls team. Kruger swop places with Wilhelm Steenkamp from the side that lost to the Chiefs in Wellington last weekend, while Engelbrecht moves to outside centre to replace Johann Sadie, who drops out altogether. Francois Venter takes Engelbrecht’s place on the bench.
The match against the South African Conference leaders will also see Dewald Potgieter earning his 50th cap for the Bulls.
“We have a great opportunity to get back on the winning trail because we play at home for the first time in six weeks,” coach Frans Ludeke said when announcing the team.
“The Stormers has been the form team all season, with outstanding defence and opportunism on attack a hallmark of their success. We will need to be creative and patient to break down their defences, but also not give anything away, because they will pounce on mistakes,” Ludeke said.
The team to play the Stormers (with Super caps) is: Zane Kirchner (66), Akona Ndungane (79), JJ Engelbrecht (12), Wynand Olivier (97), Bjorn Basson (37), Mornè Steyn (101), Francois Hougaard (40), Pierre Spies (84, c), CJ Stander (12), Dewald Potgieter (49), Juandrè Kruger (12), Flip van der Merwe (44), Werner Kruger (70), Chiliboy Ralepelle (47), Dean Greyling (25). Replacements: Willie Wepener (48), Rayno Gerber (37), Wilhelm Steenkamp (47), Arno Botha (9), Jano Vermaak (83), Louis Fouchè (6), Francois Venter (4).
Milestones:
• Dewald Potgieter will play in his 50th Super match. He made his debut in 2008 against the Stormers.
• Mornè Steyn will extend his South African Super Rugby points record (1157) if he scores on Saturday. Steyn also holds the competition record for dropped goals (24).
• Wynand Olivier is the most capped South African midfielder in Super Rugby and will play in his 98th match (28 tries).
Seldome that the Bulls buy a dud, so maybe Sadie is one that HM and FL can use to prove my point by buildinhg up his confidence.
Pieterson in all likelihood out of Stormers, Kitshoff out, Bekker won’t admit it, but is injured – lower back problems, Jean sitting out of training – flu/cold, not looking good for the Stormers. For the first time, I will actually be going Bulls on Bru. Eish, I have absolutely no confidence in the Stormers this weekend. Here’s to the 3 week break, and hoping that HM selects none of the Stormers!!!
Stormers: Aplon, vd Heever, JDJ, JDV, Habana, Grant, Duvenage, Sinclair, Elstadt, Kolisi, Steenkamp, Etzebeth, Malherbe, Liebenberg, Carstens. Reserves: Fourie, Harris, Roux, Armand, Fenton-Wells, Schreuder, Francis.
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Bekker out, sad now the Stormers are stronger.
@ superBul:Bekker out for 5 weeks, so the Springboks will be stronger too, hahaha
@ Just For Kicks:
6
Eish man that was tongue in the cheek
Where is Victor when we need him
Andries Bekker and Joe Pietersen have been ruled out of the Loftus game. Siya Kolisi starts at 6 and Frans Malherbe at 3.
Terugslag vir die Bulle, met Bekker nie meer op senter en vleuel nie, gaan daar nou baie minder gapings wees, en gaan die Stormers sewetal nou ‘n agttal wees.
(Met Bekker uit die toetse en Matfield wat nie mag speel nie, dink ek HM sal met die Bulle slotpaar gaan. Dink nie hy sal met twee nuwe bokke begin as sy slotpaar nie (Kruger en Eben). Sal begin met Kruger en Flip met Eben op die bank.)
Met tuisveld voordeel en minder beserings, behoort die Bulle te wen.
Gaan ‘n taaie wees, met altwee spanne wat nou ‘n wen broodnodig het vir die nodige momentum na die toetsreeks en die Sharks wat sterk eindig. Groter druk is egter op die Bulle, wat nog die Sharks in Durbs moet gaan speel.
@ bdb:
Ek worry nie te veel oor die Sharks nie hulle is op “mission imposible” , Bulle was daar laasjaar. Net eenvoudig tye veel gelos vir laaste,… my gevoel. Iewers gaan hul bubble bars.
Wel Bulle ook amper in daai posisie een verloor en ons is ook weer in die posisie waar ons niks verder kan verloor nmie, maw rug teen die muur.
Andries Langbek seems to be injured more and more lately, so much so that he spends more time injured than actually playing the game.
Personally I think it’s a blessing in diguise for the Bokke and would like to see Juandrê Kruger and Eben Etsebeth team up as the Springbok locks.
@ superBul:
1
sorry Sadie
“Johann Sadie is struggling with a hamstring injury,” Ludeke said.
“But we are using a group rotation system so we had a good think about it and decided to leave him out this week.”
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