Adriaan Strauss

Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named Adriaan Strauss at hooker when he announced his team to play the DHL Stormers in the opening round of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Strauss, who made his Super Rugby debut for the Vodacom Bulls in 2006 (8 matches), is back in the Pretoria side after a long stint with the Toyota Cheetahs (for whom he played 97 times) and was put straight into the starting team by Ludeke.

The coach also included Vodacom Bulls debutants Lappies Labuschagne and Trevor Nyakane, but neither are strangers to the competition. Labuschagne played for Toyota Cheetahs in 27 matches (debut 2012) and Nyakane represented the same franchise 42 times (debut 2012).

The rest of the team consists of tried and tested players, with the most experienced captain in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby, Victor Matfield, leading the team onto the field for the 83rd time.
Regular captain Pierre Spies, who made his last appearance in Super Rugby in Round 1 last year against the Sharks in Durban, will play off the bench as he is eased back into action following his long lay-off.

Another player returning from a long lay-off is Arno Botha, who will start at No 8 for the first time in 22 matches for his franchise. The loose forward last played for the Vodacom Bulls in 2013 and missed last season due to injury.

Ludeke, who will be in charge of the team for an 8th consecutive season, expressed his excitement with kick-off a couple of days away.

“We have prepared well for this season, but one will only really know how you shape up once the tournament is underway. I believe we have a solid squad with good depth this year and players suited to the way we want to execute our style of play,” Ludeke said.

“That said, we are up against a formidable team with good confidence, as the bulk of them won the Currie Cup at the end of last season. We will have to start well and stay strong if we want to kick the competition of on a winning note. Luckily we start at home and hope to have our supporters out in big numbers at Loftus Versfeld.”

According to Matfield it will not necessarily be the match-ups between individuals that will make the difference, but rather a team effort.

“Each side has different strengths and game breakers, so the one that plays the best as a unit and use their scoring opportunities should come out on top. It is going to be a great game and we are really looking forward to it. We have prepared long and hard and now just want to go out and play,” Matfield said.

Ludeke included 20-year old prop Dayan van der Westhuizen onto the bench. The Junior Springbok player is recovering from a bruised foot and should he not be able to take the field, another SA Under 20 prop, Neethling Fouché, will take his place on the bench.

Vodacom Bulls (with Super Rugby caps): 15 Jurgen Visser (25), 14 Bjorn Basson (71), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (49), 12 Jan Serfontein (28), 11 Francois Hougaard (72), 10 Handré Pollard (13), 9 Piet van Zyl (44), 8 Arno Botha (22), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (27), 6 Deon Stegmann (79), 5 Victor Matfield (Captain, 138), 4 Jacques du Plessis (15), 3 Werner Kruger (108), 2 Adriaan Strauss (106), 1 Trevor Nyakane (42)
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie (38), 17 Morné Mellet (24), 18 Dayan vd Westhuizen (0) / Neethling Fouché (0), 19 Grant Hattingh (34), 20 Pierre Spies (103), 21 Rudy Paige (7), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (56), 23 Jesse Kriel (1)

Milestones:

• There are four centurions in the squad line-up. Victor Matfield 138 (Bulls 130 & Cats 8); Werner Kruger 108 (all Bulls); Adriaan Strauss 105 (Cheetahs 97, Bulls 8) and Pierre Spies 103 (all Bulls)
• Coach Frans Ludeke will extend his Vodacom Super Rugby as most experienced coach ever – He has coach the Vodacom Bulls in 109 matches and the Cats in 23 for a tally of 132.
• Victor Matfield will extend his Vodacom Bulls record as their most capped Super Rugby player to 139. He will also captain the side for a record 83rd time, which is also a competition record. It will also be his 16th season of Vodacom Super Rugby, a record he will now share with Tony Brown and Tana Umaga.
• Lappies Labuschagne and Trevor Nyakane will make their debut for the Vodacom Bulls.
• JJ Engelbrecht will play in his 50th match for the Vodacom Bulls.
• Should he take to the field, Dayan van der Westhuizen / Neethling Fouché will make his Vodacom Super Rugby and Vodacom Bulls debut.

Die Vodacom Bulls afrigter Frans Ludeke het haker Adriaan Strauss in sy span ingesluit wat Saterdag op Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria teen die DHL Stormers in die openingsronde van die Vodacom Super Rugby kompetisie speel.

Strauss het reeds in 2006 in 8 wedstryde vir die Vodacom Bulls uitgedraf, maar daarna in 97 wedstryde vir die Toyota Cheetahs gespeel en ook die span aangevoer.

Die afrigter het ook 2 Vodacom Bulls debutante, Lappies Labuschagne en Trevor Nyakane gekies, maar beide het reeds Vodacom Super Rugby ondervinding. Labuschagne het 27 keer en Nyakane 42 keer vir die Toyota Cheetahs uitgedraf.

Die res van die span bestaan uit ‘n ervare kern, met die mees ervare Super Rugby speler in Suid-Afrika, Victor Matfield, wat die span sal aanvoer. Matfield draf vir die 83ste keer voor, meer as enige ander kaptein in die toernooi se geskiedenis.

Die gereelde kaptein, Pierre Spies, sal van die bank af impakt verleen. Spies het in die openingswedstryd van verlede seisoen se reeks laas (weens ‘n besering) gespeel.

Nog ‘n ‘nuwe’ gesig is die van Arno Botha wat op agsteman gekies is, die eerste keer in 23 wedstryde dat hy daar begin.

Botha het die hele 2014 seisoen weens ‘n kniebesering misgeloop.

Ludeke, wat die span in sy 8ste seisoen brei, het gese die opgewondheid is tasbaar in die kamp, veral omdat die afskop nou om die draai is.

“Ons het hard gewerk en ek glo ons is goed voorbereid vir die seisoen. ‘n Mens weet eers regtig hoe in die kol jy is as die kompetisie in volle swang kom, maar dit het goed gegaan in die voorseisoense wedstryde.

“Daar is ook goeie diepte in die groep met ‘n sterk groep spelers wat die spelpatroon kan afdwing wat ons vanjaar wil speel,” het Ludeke gesê.

“Ons besef egter dat ons teen ‘n gedugte teenstander te staan kom. Die oorgrote groep van die Stormers se spelers was deel van die span wat verlede jaar die Curriebeker gewen het met ‘n aanvallende speelstyl, so hulle sal beslis met heelwat selfvertroue hierheen opruk. Ons het egter die voordeel van ‘n fantastiese tuisskare op Loftus Versfeld.”

Matfield het gemaan dat dit eerder ‘n spanpoging eerder as indiwiduele spelers sal wees wat die uitslag gaan bepaal.

“Albei spanne het verskillende sterkpunte en spelbrekers, maar ek glo dit sal die een wat wat sy geleenthede om punte aan te teken die beste benut en die beste as ‘n eenheid kan saamspeel, wat die wedstryd behoort te wen. Dit gaan ‘n fantastiese geleentheid wees vir almal en ons sien geweldig uit na die wedstryd. Dit is opwindend om te weet dat die wedstrydfase van die kompetisie uiteindelik begin.”

Ludeke het slegs 1 Super Rugby debutant gekies. Die 20-jarige Junior Springbok stut, Dayan van der Westhuizen, is as plaasvervanger gekies. Hy het vandeesweek nog las van ‘n gekneusde voet gehad en indien hy nie fiks verklaar word nie, sal nog ‘n gewese SA Onder 20 speler, Neethling Fouché, as plaasvervanger diens doen.

Vodacom Bulls (met getal Super-wedstryde): 15 Jurgen Visser (25), 14 Bjorn Basson (71), 13 JJ Engelbrecht (49), 12 Jan Serfontein (28), 11 Francois Hougaard (72), 10 Handré Pollard (13), 9 Piet van Zyl (44), 8 Arno Botha (22), 7 Lappies Labuschagne (27), 6 Deon Stegmann (79), 5 Victor Matfield (Kaptein, 138), 4 Jacques du Plessis (15), 3 Werner Kruger (108), 2 Adriaan Strauss (106), 1 Trevor Nyakane (42)
Plaasvervangers: 16 Callie Visagie (38), 17 Morné Mellet (24), 18 Dayan vd Westhuizen (0) / Neethling Fouché (0), 19 Grant Hattingh (34), 20 Pierre Spies (103), 21 Rudy Paige (7), 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (56), 23 Jesse Kriel (1)

Notas:

• Daar is vier spelers in die groep wat reeds 100 keer of meer in Super Rugby uitgedraf het. Victor Matfield 138 (Bulls 130 & Cats 8); Werner Kruger 108 (almal Bulls); Adriaan Strauss 105 (Cheetahs 97, Bulls 8) en Pierre Spies 103 (almal Bulls).
• Afrigter Frans Ludeke sal sy rekord as mees ervare afrigter in die geskiedenis van die Vodacom Super Rugby kompetisie verder verbeter. Hy het die Bulls reeds 109 gebrei (en 23 keer die Cats) en sal dus in sy 133ste wedstryd as afrigter sy sitplek inneem.
• Victor Matfield sal sy Vodacom Bulls rekord as mees ervare speler nog na 139 wedstryde uitbrei. Hy draf ook vir die 83ste keer voor, ‘n kompetisierekord. Dit is boonop sy 16de seisoen in die toernooi, die enigste om dit te vermag saam met Tony Brown en Tana Umaga.
• Lappies Labuschagne en Trevor Nyakane maak hul debuut vir die Vodacom Bulls.
• JJ Engelbrecht speel in sy 50ste wedstryd vir die Vodacom Bulls.
• As hy speelkans kry sal Dayan van der Westhuizen / Neethling Fouché sy Vodacom Super Rugby en Vodacom Bulls debuut maak.