Jesse Kriel
Regular captain and No 8 Pierre Spies is back at the helm of the Vodacom Bulls when they take on the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld on Friday in Round 2 of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
Spies takes over the captaincy from Victor Matfield and the No 8 jumper from Arno Botha, who picked up an injury in the Vodacom Bulls tournament opener last weekend against the DHL Stormers.
The regular Bulls leader was eased back into action off the bench, but is now fit to start in a team that shows 4 changes to the starting line-up and 6 all-together from the one that started their campaign with a disappointing loss against the Cape side.
Spies comes in for Botha, with his place on the bench taken by rookie loose forward Hanro Liebenberg, who could earn a first start should he take to the field.
The injury to Werner Kruger also resulted in a front row shuffle. Trevor Nyakane will move from the left side of the front row to the right and Morné Mellett off the bench into the No 1 jersey.
A fit-again Dean Greyling will take Mellett’s place on the bench.
The other unforced change is at fullback where Jesse Kriel will start, with Jurgen Visser moving down to the bench in a straight swop with the Junior Springbok player.
This will be Kriel’s first start after 2 appearances off the bench.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke admitted that the forced changes to his pack will add to the pressure that resulted from last week’s poor result.
“There is always pressure and the fact that we have 5 frontline props out with injury does not make it any easier. We have good depth though and we back our junior structures, so I am comfortable that we will be a very competitive outfit on Friday.”
Spies also backed the young guns in the team.
“Yes, we have a couple of younger guys in the team, but they are definitely good enough to play here. They bring lots of energy in the mix and we will need a healthy dose of that to compete on Friday against the Hurricanes, who will be full of confidence following their win last weekend.”
A step-up from last weekend was also not negotiable, he insisted.
“We know we were not good enough. We did not play the important moments well and made silly errors that cost us dearly. Everyone is ready to make the step-up,” the captain said.
Vodacom Bulls – caps in brackets: 15 Jesse Kriel (2), 14 Bjorn Basson (72), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (50), 12 Jan Serfontein (29), 11 Francois Hougaard (73), 10 Handré Pollard (14), 9 Piet van Zyl (45), 8 Pierre Spies (104, Captain), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (28), 6 Deon Stegmann (80), 5 Victor Matfield (139), 4 Jacques du Plessis (16), 3 Trevor Nyakane (43), 2 Adriaan Strauss (106), 1 Morné Mellett (25)
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie (39), 17 Dean Greyling (54), 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen (0), 19 Grant Hattingh (35), 20 Hanro Liebenberg (0), 21 Rudy Paige (8), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (56), 23 Jurgen Visser (26).
Milestones:
- There are 3 centurions in the squad line-up. Victor Matfield 139 (Bulls 131 & Cats 8); Adriaan Strauss 106 (Cheetahs 97, Bulls 9) and Pierre Spies 104 (all Bulls)
- Coach Frans Ludeke will extend his Vodacom Super Rugby as most experienced coach ever – He has coached the Vodacom Bulls in 110 matches and the Cats in 24 for a tally of 134.
- Victor Matfield will extend his Vodacom Bulls record as their most capped Super Rugby player to 140. It also is his 16th season of Vodacom Super Rugby, a record he shares with Tony Brown and Tana Umaga.
- Should he take to the field, Dayan van der Westhuizen will make his Vodacom Super Rugby and Vodacom Bulls debut.
- Should he take to the field, Hanro Liebenberg will make his Vodacom Super Rugby and Vodacom Bulls debut.
Sy gereelde kaptein en Nr 8, Pierre Spies, is weer op sy pos en sal die Vodacom Bulls Vrydagaand op Loftus Versfeld op die veld lei in hul Vodacom Super Rugby wedstryd teen die Hurricanes.
Spies neem die kapteinskap oor van Victor Matfield en die Nr 8 trui van Arno Botha.
Botha is in die openingswedstryd van vanjaar se reeks verlede naweek teen die DHL Stormers beseer en Spies, wat as plaasvervanger begin het, skuif op tot in die beginspan. Hanro Liebenberg neem Spies se plek op die bank en kan sy debuut vir die Vodacom Bulls in die kompetisie maak.
Die Vodacom Bulls-afrigter, Frans Ludeke, moes ‘n nuwe voorry kies vir die stryd teen die Hurricanes, met Werner Kruger wat weens ‘n enkelbesering ‘n geruime tyd buite aksie sal wees.
Trevor Nyakane skuif van loskop na vaskop en Morné Mellett word van die bank bevorder om op loskop te sak. Dean Greyling is weer fiks en begin as plaasvervanger-stut.
Die enigste ongedwone verandering is op heelagter waar Ludeke vir Jesse Kriel laat begin en Jurgen Visser wat afskuif bank toe. Dit is Kriel se eerste keer in die beginspan na 2 verskynings as plaasvervanger.
Ludeke erken daar is bykomende druk na die span in sy openingswedstryd vasgeval het en ‘n rits stutte krank is.
“Daar is altyd druk en die feit dat soveel soos 5 van ons stutte nie beskikbaar is nie, maak dit nie makliker nie. Ons het egter goeie diepte en ons onderskryf ons junior strukture om spelers deur te bring, so ek is vol vertroue dat ons mededingend sal wees,” het die breier gese.
Spies het ook sy vertroue in die jonger spelers uitgespreek.
“Daar is ‘n hele paar van hulle, maar hulle is beslis goed genoeg, anders sou hulle nie hier wees nie. Jongelinge bring altyd nuwe energie en entoesiasme en ons gaan beide nodig he teen ‘n Hurricanes-span wat vol selfvertroue sal wees na hulle wen verlede naweek.”
Die Vodacom Bulls sal ‘n beter vertoning lewer, het Spies verseker.
“Dit is nie eens debatteerbaar nie, ons moet eenvoudig beter wees. Teen die Stormers het ons nie die belangrike oomblikke van die wedstryd benut nie en sagte oomblikke gehad wat ons gekos het. Almal besef ons moet beter.”
Vodacom Bulls – wedstryde in hakkies: 15 Jesse Kriel (2), 14 Bjorn Basson (72), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (50), 12 Jan Serfontein (29), 11 Francois Hougaard (73), 10 Handré Pollard (14), 9 Piet van Zyl (45), 8 Pierre Spies (104, Kaptein), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (28), 6 Deon Stegmann (80), 5 Victor Matfield (139), 4 Jacques du Plessis (16), 3 Trevor Nyakane (43), 2 Adriaan Strauss (106), 1 Morné Mellett (25)
Plaasvervangers: 16 Callie Visagie (39), 17 Dean Greyling (54), 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen (0), 19 Grant Hattingh (35), 20 Hanro Liebenberg (0), 21 Rudy Paige (8), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (56), 23 Jurgen Visser (26).
Notas:
- Daar is 3 spelers met meer as 100 wedstryde. Victor Matfield 139 (Bulls 131 & Cats 8); Adriaan Strauss 106 (Cheetahs 97, Bulls 9) en Pierre Spies 104 (almal Bulls).
- Afrigter Frans Ludeke is in beheer van sy 135ste wedstryd, ‘n toernooirekord. Hy het reeds in 110 Super Rugby wedstryde die Bulls afgerig en die 24 vir Cats, vir ‘n groottotaal van 134 Super Rugby wedstryde).
- Victor Matfield speel in sy 140ste wedstryd (‘n SA rekord) en sy 132ste vir die Vodacom Bulls, ‘n franchise rekord. Dit is sy 16de seisoen van Vodacom Super Rugby, ‘n rekord wat hy deel met Tony Brown en Tana Umaga
- Sou hy speelkans kry, sal Dayan van der Westhuizen sy Vodacom Super Rugby en Vodacom Bulls debuut maak.
- Sou hy speelkans kry, sal Hanro Liebenberg sy Vodacom Super Rugby en Vodacom Bulls debuut maak.
One step in the right direction, bringing Jesse Kriel on in the place of Jurgen the Donkey!
If we’re doing it one player per week, I guess next week we need JJ Engelbrecht replaced… the week thereafter Pierre Spies… the week thereafter Callie Visagie needs to fall off the bench…
Pity we could not remove one coach per week too… starting right at the very top, then moving on to the scrum coach… and so on! Let Nollis Marais take over as coach, at least he has been successful in the last few years with the Bulls juniors!
Surprised to see the team announced so early even if it is for a Friday night game. It shows some clarity and confidence from the coaches on players available (injuries etc) I guess, no point waiting to the last minute to announce your team if you already have it pencilled in early but it also gives the opposition more time to analyse things and may even affect their choice of team.
Great to see Jesse Kriel starting and it will be good for Dayan van der Westhuizen and Hanro Liebenberg to get a decent stint off the bench. Liebenberg looks a good prospect, from the very little have seen him play.
Pity that William Small Smith picked up an injury in the warm up game against the Pumas on the weekend, at the very least he could have been on the bench although preferably starting with JJ Engelbrecht on the wing or with Francois Hougaard starting on the wing, JJ could have been on the bench.
4 @ Bullscot:
I am also non too plussed that Burger Odendaal has a 4 to 6 weeks injury… so now MY plan to have Odendaal at No 12 and Jan Serfontein at No 13 is right out of the window!!
Eish
Bullscot wrote:
Indeed Libenberg looks a good player, like to see him on this level
Stop stressing GBS
Bulls will win on Friday
The coaches and players have too much to lose, they will be desperate and focused
This might sound like a malicious question, and it’s not being asked to stir the shitpot, but how can the Bulls manage to field a team with only 2 PoC’s in Trevor and Bjorn.
What are the required numbers for SR, if any?
I’m glad Kriel got picked and Hanro is on the bench, two very good players
Frans in all his wisdom picked a loosehead at tighthead, instead of using a young tighthead against a settled Hurricanes front row
He leaves three wings out to play a scrumhalf on the wing
He picked the useless JJ again, I’m sure there must be a better centre in Pretoria?
Hell, walk across the street to Affies, you’ll find a better and probably bigger centre in their team than that scrawny lang derm
And he picks the invisible man as captain?
I wish rugby could get a non-playing captain like the Davis Cup Tennis team, Spies would be a natural
9 @ Victoriabok:
Spies will be useless at that too… he’ll pull a lip muscle or something!
nortie wrote:
Spies and JJ are quotas too
And Paige is both a quota and a PoC
So it’s 2 + 2 + 2 = 6 🙁
7 @ nortie:
You know me, I’m an eternal optimist… but freegin Ludeke’s trying my patience to the bitter extreme!
Hy fok nou erger rond as ‘n staathoer op “E” en “Speed”, in ‘n saal vol zabers!
Victoriabok wrote:
No Vic, you must understand, there is a difference between quotas and handicaps 😆
12 @ grootblousmile:
Still think you will win this weekend.
NZ teams generally target one win in SA, seldom that teams win both games here.
I’m sure that prior to coming they must have looked at the two features and decided that the easier one would be the Lions compared to beating the Bulls at Loftus
14 @ nortie:
Look, Kriel is 20 times the player Jurgen Visser is so I’m banking on him NOT to kick uppies like Jurgen Visser always does.
But dang man, even against a weaker Canes forwards bunch the Bulls are bound to kak in the scrums… they need to chase that sleg moer, Wessel Roux, away or hang him upside down somewhere!
grootblousmile wrote:
Hy kan nogsteeds land die veld sit en sterk lyk
Dis al wat hy goed doen
15 @ grootblousmile:
Your strongest attacking option in the back line is Bjorn successfully chasing and winning the ball back at up and unders.
No back line ball makes it past Jan, he automatically runs into whoever is in front of him.
So I still foresee lots of up and unders, irrispective of who plays 15
15 @ grootblousmile:
People tend to forget that the Canes scored their last try after totally stuffing up the much vaunted Lions scrum to get a tighthead.
nortie wrote:
Handicaps count even more 😀
And they get to park their Isuzu bakkies in front of Lofus 😈
17 @ nortie:
That is why I wanted Burger Odendaal at No 12 and Jan at No 13… now Burger Odendaal is also injured and out for 4 to 6 weeks… which means I can write that on my flokken boepie and wipe it off with a wet-wipe or something equally kak like a Sharks shirt or something.
nortie wrote:
If they lose again they have to pick between keeping Frans or their own jobs
That’s why he’s stressing
We need to lose, this time by at least 20 or more, it will be one of the final nails in Ludeke’s coffin
21 @ Victoriabok:
Don’t kid yourself, even if Ludeke loses the next 10 in a row, they will not fire his ass!
I like Janneman… and I like Burger… but selecting both would put us another 2 steps back.
The usual excuse is that Janneman “plays there for the boks”, but he doesn’t, JDV does in attack, and Janneman is used as crashball.
Now we have 2 crashball players like that, I know we are getting desperate to replace JJ, but that is too desperate. Play WSS or Dries Swanepoel at 13.
17 @ nortie:
I agree, whoever plays fullback will kick up and unders inside our own half… one positive though is we dont have Visser who either plays good or really bad (mostly).
grootblousmile wrote:
I agree, no ways they will fire him.
Though I feel even if he goes the same problems will remain. Daar is iets dieper fout by die Bulle as Frans.
21 @ Victoriabok:
No way they will fire a coach after 2 weeks of SR.
You have to accept that he is there for the duration of the tournament. It’s not as if you have an assistant coach equal or better sitting around twiddling thumbs.
HM took the best of the rest at the Bulls when he became Bok coach.
All other top coaches are currently either employed and in contract, or, guys like Mitchell and Mallet ( who come to mind) won’t touch that job under those circumstances with a ten foot pole
nortie wrote:
Plumtree is drilling them. People underestimate the Canes forwards, then they also have the rising star Ardie Savea that will be a nightmare for the Bulls.
nortie wrote:
😆 good point, and we are still complaining about the coming quotas, yet the Bulls management has no worries.
I think they probably spent most of their money buying Trevor, geez I think that guy got a HUGE paycheck.
I wonder when Ludeke will judge Dayan to be “ready” for SuperRugby
26 @ MacroBull:
Yep. They might not have the best of the NZ teams’ forward packs, but they are not exactly powder puff either.
Even though the Lions scrum “won” the battle on the day, it didn’t bring them any points in the bag, whereas the Canes scored due to a powerful scrum
24 @ MacroBull:
Daar’s klompie kak daar, dis Frans Ludeke, daai moegoe Xander Janse van Rensburg, Oom Onrusbarend, Spies, Visser, JJ, Werner Kruger, SlapgatChips, Wessel “The Weasel” Roux, die teeousie, die tannie voor by ontvangs… die hele kaboedel!
Flok, iemand met lood in sy potlood sal disipline in hulle moet inbliksem!
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