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.
@ nortie:
I still back the Canes as the underdogs in this competition.
Surely the Bulls wont lose on Friday though.
@ grootblousmile:
Dit is moeilik om almal die skuld te gee, maar ek sal begin by Wessel Roux, dit is ongehoord dat Super Rugby spanne vir jare sukkel met dieselfde probleme, dit kan nie by Werner Kruger sit nie, wie doen die analiese op hul tegniek ens?
Die algemene tendens by die bulle die laaste paar jaar is dat hulle glo in hul sisteme ens, en dit kon dalk so gewees het n paar jaar terug, maar hulle pas nie aan nie. ek sal nie verbaas wees as Wessel Roux werklik dink elke seison dat ons voorry awesome is en dat die ref teen ons is.
en nog n probleem is ons gee altyd die stutte die skuld. Terwyl die Leeus as n eenheid scrum. twee stutt en n hakker is boggerol teen 2 stutte+hakker+slotte+lossvoorspelers.
Ons kort n scrum afrigter was nie soos n stut dink nie, maar soos n voorspeler.
As Dean Greyling onder plumtree or akkerman gespeel het het hy seker al gestaan op 50 springbok toetse, hulle sou aan sy tegniek gewerk het en swakpunte opgebou het, want in die los kom niemand naby aan macguyver nie.
Maar by die bulle is hy maar op sy eie mission. Fok voort se Wessel.
32 @ MacroBull:
dalk coenie
grootblousmile wrote:
We complained about the gameplan and Ross for two years
We thought they didn’t listen or didn’t care, and they got enough money from television rights
Well they did notice
Ross is gone
They saw Loftus was empty last year.
They’re not selling season’s tickets and losies
That’s why Victor asked the fans to return
If they keep losing the fans will stay away
SAIL will step in if they don’t make money and start to lose sponsors, you do need fan support after all
Barend would fire Fransie in a heartbeat if his own job is on the line, he’s Jake’s kind of Snake
@ Victoriabok:
Ross was a scapegoat cannon fodder.
(When) Vic takes over next year in the currie cup and nothing has changed, nothing will change.
All we can hope for is that we get some of our coaches back from the Springboks. Everything fell apart when Meyer left.
varkit
ma julles iesegrimmig …
34 @ Victoriabok:
Flok, ek hoop iemand by die Bulle het hierdie week al op Ludeke geskree en sy ore getrek en vir hom vertel hy is flokken dom en hom sy broek laat natpiepie… want jinne, iets sal gedoen moet word.
Maar die bliksems issie bekommerd nie, hulle neuk net voort en strompel aan.
MacroBull wrote:
Ons het hom gemis Saterdag, hy is woelig in die los
Ludeke het gesê hy speel hom want vandat Bakkies weg is het hulle nie meer ‘n fisieke speler nie.
Dis ‘n wesenlike probleem as beide jou slotte hoflikheidsklasse by Emsie Schoeman geneem het, en lyk asof hulle Timotei sjampoe adverteer
MacroBull wrote:
messias Meyer also selected Spies, JJ E, Werner K, Dean G, Callie V, Tarzan, F Hougaard et al … but in his case it was a mortal sin coz twas for the Bokke, & not merely for the Bulle …
So call me confused, but if Meyer is so good (or great), why is Ludeke so k@k when the latter so often follows Meyer’s lead?
MacroBull wrote:
It’s a shame the Super Franchises don’t belong to owners like the French Clubs or the North American Sports franchises
Look what they did to Jake the Snake’s predecessor at Montpellier?
And in the NFL they have Black Monday, the Monday after all the league games have been played and before the playoffs start, where they fire all the underperforming coaches
Ludeke would have been history long ago
@ Victoriabok:
ja die probleem is die stommers het n klomp woelige spelers gehad.
Na n goeie jaar vir vic verlede jaar gaan hy die jaar weer soos 2011 speel om nie seer te kry voor die WB nie.
Flip sal weer orde skep, en ons sal beter doen teen die australasiese spanne op Loftus en selfs oorsee, maar die ander SA spanne het ons verby gesteek m.b.t. fisiese spel.
Angostura wrote:
The difference is Heyneke is a great motivator, he can really motivate players
Like Ackermann, Stonehouse and Jake White
He knows how to get the best out of a player
Remember how Liefling’s confidence was shot under Rudi Joubert in the S12, but how he performed under Heyneke and won the S14 for him?
That’s what makes him a great coach
Angostura wrote:
Well firstly Callie V never played, he got called up to a day or two of a bok camp because we had something like 6 injured hookers at that stage.
Secondly, Tarzan, Dean, Kruger, JJE were all dropped when they did’nt make the grade or when other more preferred players returned from injury.
Not to mention Meyer ran things at the bulls, and I again bring it up, won Super Rugby, and built a team that won it twice more.
As I previously stated, that Ludeke cant take all the blame, the problem is much deeper at the Bulls. As an example, this weekend they selected 2 P’sOC, they are clearly without direction or a plan.
Naand chaps hoeganit
44 @ smallies:
Baie goed dankie Smallies… maar ons kak en kerm nou eers oor die Bulle vir ‘n rukkie… hahaha
41 @ MacroBull:
“ja die probleem is die stommers het n klomp woelige spelers gehad.”
Dis waar, maar daai jong outjies het in Duane n kaptein wat wys hy is harder en sal meer doen as wat hy van enige speler vra.
Vergelyk dit met Matfield en Spies…..goeie spelers, maar net n poephol sal oortuig wees dat hulle harder sal speel as wat hulle verwag van hul spelers.
@ smallies:
Naand Mnr Small
MacroBull wrote:
Nie soseer woelig soos lus om te speel nie
Die Bulls het net opgedaag, maar het geen vuur gehad nie
@ Victoriabok:
Ah, so … then the Bulle don’t need to fire all these players (mentioned in this thread) – they just need to recruit a motivator!
“Like Ackermann, Stonehouse and Jake White”
Ged onn wiffit olreddy!
The Snake should right about now be itching to break contract again … 🙂
MacroBull wrote:
Dan het ons groot moeilikheid want Spies steek alreeds lyf weg en ons kan nie met 13 teen 15 speel nie
Ons sal nie oorsee wen nie, nie soos ons nou speel nie
49 @ Angostura:
Nee flok, Jake the Snake moet wegbly van die Bulls af, willie daai sponsparra naby die Bulle hê nie.
nortie wrote:
Vermeulen was een van die beste spelers in die wereld verlede jaar.
Ja Spies en Matfield was bietjie lig in die broek, maar hulle kon die bulle tot superrugby titels gelei… die vraag wat ons moet vra is, wat het fout gegaan?
Wat dink julle van Nollis Marais?
@ Victoriabok:
Ek dink die Bulle praat hulleself so op asof hulle tough guys is wat op reputasie speel en almal moet bang wees vir hulle…spanne is al jare nie meer bang vir hulle nie.
@ grootblousmile:
Bulls het die guns(spelers) maar die gunnar(afrigter) is die fout. Die groot probleem is daai skop en jaag is so in hulle gedril dat hulle dink di kreatief en instink as jy op dit yerugval.fokkit ek dink julle spelers gooi hoe bomme as hulle toutchies speel ook
nortie wrote:
Maybe not, but if we lose badly this week and then the next week against the Sharks at home as well Fransie would be in deep doo doo
Trust me
@ Victoriabok:
Maar dis nie net spies nie, Jacque Du Plessies het in 73 minute die naweek 7 meter gedraf en hy het 10 keer met die bal gehardloop.
52 @ MacroBull:
Toe Victor hulle gelei het tot SR titel was hy nie 38 jaar oud nie. Toe Spies hulle gelei het was hy een van die top spelers in sy posisie.
Dit was 8, 7 en 5 jaar terug…..baie water het sedert daai jare in die see geloop.
Matfield het meer die ref uitgekak Saterdag as sy eie spelers wat besig was om droog te maak.
“gehardloop”
56 @ Victoriabok:
Neewat Vicky Victoria… Ludeke’s job is safe for the whole season, no matter what happens!
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