Victor Matfield

Handré Pollard

Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named Victor Matfield to lead the team to play the DHL Stormers at DHL Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.

Ludeke made four changes and a positional switch to the starting team that lost their last Vodacom Super Rugby outing, against the Lions in Johannesburg, with Matfield and Paul Willemse starting at lock and Handré Pollard at flyhalf. Werner Kruger also swop with Marcel van der Merwe in the regular rotation of the front row.

Grant Hattingh will vacate the lock position to make way for Matfield and again move to the back of the scrum in a positional switch that will also see Jacques Engelbrecht run out at flank.

Matfield was rested against the Lions and will lock the scrum with Willemse, who replaces injured captain, Flip van der Merwe, in the number four jersey. Engelbrecht’s move to the side of the scrum is a result of the injury to Jacques du Plessis.

Pollard missed the Lions clash due to his Junior Springbok commitments in New Zealand and returns to start at number 10. Jacques-Louis Potgieter moves to the bench in place of Louis Fouché.

“We all know the maths. We need to go to Cape Town and get the full haul. It is a massive challenge but we feel that we can do it. Making the play-offs was one of our clear targets and we need a very positive performance at Newlands to make it happen,” Ludeke said.

Matfield agreed: “The Stormers are playing without any pressure at the moment and with their new confidence on attack, will test our defences. I believe defence is all about attitude, so we will have to look at ourselves first and decide how much we really want this.”

Vodacom Bulls (with Super Rugby caps): 15 Jurgen Visser (24), 14 Akona Ndungane (107), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (47), 12 Jan Serfontein (26), 11 Bjorn Basson (69), 10 Handré Pollard (11), 9 Francois Hougaard (70), 8 Grant Hattingh (33), 7 Jacques Engelbrecht (25), 6 Jono Ross (17), 5 Victor Matfield (136, Captain), 4 Paul Willemse (18), 3 Werner Kruger (106), 2 Callie Visagie (36), 1 Dean Greyling (52)
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi (14), 17 Marcel van der Merwe (17), 18 Morné Mellett (22), 19 Marvin Orie (0), 20 Roelof Smit (0), 21 Piet van Zyl (42), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (54), 23 William Small-Smith (5).

Milestones:

• If they take to the field, Marvin Orie and Roelof Smit will make their Vodacom Super Rugby debuts. Three players debuted in Super Rugby in 2014: William Small-Smith, Handrè Pollard and Wiaan Liebenberg.
• Victor Matfield will extend his record as most capped South African in the VSR competition and will play in his 137^th match. Matfield also holds this record for the Vodacom Bulls, turning out for the 129^th time. He played for the Cats eight times in his debut season in 1999.
• Matfield will equal Nathan Sharpe as the most experienced captain in VSR ever when he runs in front for the 81^st time.
• Frans Ludeke will equal Ewen McKenzie’s record of 131 Vodacom Super Rugby matches as head coach. Ludeke coached the Cats in 23 matches and will be in charge of the Vodacom Bulls for the 108^th time.

**************************************

Die Vodacom Bulls afrigter, Frans Ludeke, het Victor Matfield as kaptein aangestel vir die span se Vodacom Super Rugby-kragmeting Saterdag teen die DHL Stormers op DHL Nuweland in Kaapstad.

Ludeke het vier veranderinge en ‘n posisionele skuif gemaak aan die beginspan wat teen die Lions in Johannesburg vasgeval het, met Matfield en Paul Willemse die nuwe slotpaar.

Matfield het ruskans teen die Lions gehad en Willemse begin in die plek van die beseerde kaptein, Flip van der Merwe. Handré Pollard, wat die Lions-stryd weens sy Junior Springbok verpligtinge in Nieu-Seeland misgeloop het, is terug op losskakel en Werner Kruger roteer weer met Marcel van der Merwe op vaskop.

Grant Hattingh skuif van slot na agsteman en Jacques Engelbrecht na flank in die plek van die beseerde Jacques du Plessis.

Pollard vervang Jacques-Louis Potgieter, wat afskuif bank toe in die plek van Louis Fouché.

“Ons ken almal die somme,” het Ludeke gesê. “Ons moet met ‘n voltal punte uit die Kaap terugkeer. Dit is ‘n geweldige uitdaging, maar een wat ons aanvaar. Om weer die uitspeelstryd te haal was een van ons besliste doelwitte en daarvoor is ‘n oortuigende vertoning op Nuweland nodig.”

Matfield het dit beaam. “Die Stormers speel sonder enige druk en met hulle nuwe vertroue in hul aanvalsvermoë, gaan ons verdediging behoorlik getoets word. Maar ek glo verdediging gaan oor ingesteldheid, so die uitdaging lê in ons eie dryfkrag en wil om dit te vermag.”

Vodacom Bulls (met Super Rugby wedstryde): 15 Jurgen Visser (24), 14 Akona Ndungane (107), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (47), 12 Jan Serfontein (26), 11 Bjorn Basson (69), 10 Handré Pollard (11), 9 Francois Hougaard (70), 8 Grant Hattingh (33), 7 Jacques Engelbrecht (25), 6 Jono Ross (17), 5 Victor Matfield (136, Kaptein), 4 Paul Willemse (18), 3 Werner Kruger (106), 2 Callie Visagie (36), 1 Dean Greyling (52)
Plaasvervangers: 16 Bongi Mbonambi (14), 17 Marcel van der Merwe (17), 18 Morné Mellett (22), 19 Marvin Orie (0), 20 Roelof Smit (0), 21 Piet van Zyl (42), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (54), 23 William Small-Smith (5).

Mylpale:

• Sou hulle speelkans kry, sal Marvi Orie en Roelof Smit hulle Vodacom Super Rugby debuut maak. Drie spelers het in 2014 dieselfde gedoen: William Small-Smith, Handrè Pollard en Wiaan Liebenberg.
• Victor Matfield verbeter sy Suid-Afrikaanse rekord as mees ervare speler in die Vodacom Super Rugby-kompetisie en sal in sy 137ste wedstryd uitdraf. Agt daarvan was vir die Cats. Sy 129ste wedstryd vir die Vodacom Bulls is ook ‘n rekord vir die span.
• Matfield ewenaar die rekord van Nathan Sharpe as die mees ervare kaptein in Super Rugby as hy vir die 81ste keer voordraf.
• Frans Ludeke ewenaar Ewen McKenzie se rekord van 131 wedstryde as die mees ervare afrigter op Vodacom Super Rugby vlak, met 23 daarvan as Cats breier.