Adriaan Strauss
Handré Pollard
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke made 7 changes to his starting team to face the Melbourne Rebels in a Super Rugby clash in Melbourne on Saturday. There are 3 changes in the backline that faced the Brumbies last weekend and 4 in the pack.
Jesse Kriel, Travis Ismaiel and Jacques-Louis Potgieter all move into starting positions off the bench, replacing Jurgen Visser, Bjorn Basson and Handré Pollard respectively. Visser and Basson will play off the bench, but Pollard will be rested for this clash.
Instead, Tian Schoeman, who joined the touring party on Tuesday, will be the back-up flyhalf on the bench.
In the pack, injured Deon Stegmann is replaced by Lappies Labuschagne, with Grant Hattingh moving to the bench to make way for Victor Matfield. The veteran lock will play in his 148th match at this level. In a straight swop, Jacques du Plessis starts at No 7 and Arno Botha moves to the bench.
Adriaan Strauss was only not considered due to the resting agreement with SARU, resulting in Callie Visagie running onto the field for his 50th match for the Vodacom Bulls in the No 2 jersey. Jaco Visagie will be on the bench.
According to Ludeke this is do or die for the team.
“We have not achieved the results we have hoped for this far on tour and we have to win this one to stay in the competition. In fact, we see this as a knock-out match. We cannot afford defeat and will go into this match in play-off mode.”
He is confident that the changes in the side will not impact their performances, especially as Pollard and Basson have started in all the matches so far.
“We have an excellent replacement in Pottie (Potgieter) as he has vast experience and is a proven competitor at this level. Bjorn is playing great rugby, but needs a break and Travis has shown his potential this far off the bench. It is great to have Victor back as the lineouts will be a key area for us,” Ludeke said.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Travis Ismaiel, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (Captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Lappies Labuschagne, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Werner Kruger, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Bjorn Basson, 23 Jurgen Visser.
Date: Saturday 6 June
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-Off: 07:30 SA Time (15:30 AEST, 17:30 NZ Time, 05:30 GMT)
Referee: Nick Briant
Assistant Referees: James Leckie, Michael Hogan
TMO: Ian Smith
Blue Bulls to lose William Small-Smith:
The Vodacom Bulls stand to lose the services of another rising star in their ranks, as former SA Under 20 captain William Small-Smith officially requested permission to negotiate with other provinces.
Small-Smith’s contract ends in October and the talented midfielder is looking for a new home after minimal game time at the Bulls.
Small-Smith was in the initial Bulls squad, but an injury early in the season allowed Burger Odendaal to pass him in the pecking order, with the Bulls disregarding the form he is in when selecting for their Vodacom Super Rugby tour overseas. It is understandable that he would be frustrated at his development being stunted by not playing at Super Rugby level.
There is a lot of interest in Small-Smith from outside Pretoria, with both the Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs set to make offers when the negotiation process opens.
Currently Small-Smith cannot negotiate with any other province until 1 July unless given permission by the Blue Bulls Company.
It is likely the Bulls will try and fight Small-Smith’s decision by using a clause in the contract that says they have the right to match any offer, but as in the case of Bongi Mbonambi – who was in a similar spot last season before accepting a contract at the DHL Stormers – it will be difficult to keep him in Pretoria if he doesn’t want to stay.
If he does leave it will be another young talent lost by the Bulls because of lack of game time. Some inexplicable selections, including in the overseas tour squad, have meant that Small-Smith has played most of his rugby in the Vodacom Cup this year.
While he scored 3 tries in the quarterfinal win over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Small-Smith was not included in the touring squad, nor called up when fellow midfielder Jan Serfontein was injured, with the Bulls opting for Jurgen Visser to head overseas.
Ironically the Bulls struggle with depth at 13, with JJ Engelbrecht the only player they’ve used in the position all season, and set to be heading overseas to Japan at the end of the year.
Engelbrecht is still in discussions to conclude a return to the Bulls for next season, but if that fails, there is little cover at 13 with experience for the Pretoria side.
Marqiet September played well in this year’s Vodacom Cup but has yet to play both Super Rugby and ABSA Currie Cup while Jesse Kriel is the other option at 13, but has been playing 15 all season long.
Small-Smith referred all questions to his lawyer Gerrie Swart, who “elected not to comment on the truthfulness of the request to negotiate with 3rd parties before the transfer window, the interest in William from 3rd parties and that it is a given that William is leaving the Province.”
The Bulls High Performance manager Xander Janse van Rensburg confirmed via message from Australia, where he is with the Bulls team, that the Bulls declined to comment on the matter.
(SuperSport)
Ludeke’s job under fire?
Despite the pressure mounting following their 3rd consecutive defeat on their Australasian tour and their subsequent slide to 9th place on the Super Rugby log, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said he could not afford to worry about his future at the franchise.
The Bulls faced their final match of the 4-week tour against the Rebels in Melbourne on Saturday and would be desperate to avoid a whitewash.
“My mind doesn’t want to go there (possibly facing the axe), I am open minded about the whole thing but obviously I can’t make the decisions, so I don’t give it the energy because I have a job at hand,” an under fire Ludeke said on Wednesday.
“It is a must win for us and we owe it to ourselves and our campaign with what we’ve done at home also where we pulled it together.
“We were 2nd on the log when we came here, so we were in a very good situation and we played well.”
Ludeke said a few results on tour could easily have swung in their favour had his charges been more accurate and he was adamant they were the same side that went on tour as the South African Conference leaders.
In their tour matches against the Blues and the Brumbies, the Bulls lost by a 5 and 6 point margin respectively and could have won those matches had the bounce of the ball favoured them.
The Bulls have 2 relatively easy matches remaining in the regular competition against the Melbourne Rebels and the Toyota Cheetahs in Pretoria and can still clinch a playoff berth while also hoping for results elsewhere to aid them in their cause.
“I didn’t change from 4 weeks ago, I am the same person and the team is the same. We didn’t get the result and I will take the responsibility for that,” he said.
A defeat against the Rebels would certainly be the death knell to their campaign and even if they win both their last 2 matches but fail to reach the playoffs, Ludeke’s position could be in jeopardy.
Ludeke, whose contract with the Bulls expires in October 2016, said his fate lay in the hands of the Blue Bulls board that would be meeting next Friday.
“I’ve got respect for the people that appointed me and if they want to change there is nothing I can do about it,” Ludeke said.
“My job is to ensure we finish well, we are obviously in a situation that we don’t enjoy, we would like to be in the run and make the playoffs.
“That is why we will fight ‘till the last game to make sure because there is still hope, we need favours, but there is still hope.”
Ludeke said he had positive discussions with the board and his future and what was needed to make improvements at the union.
“We’ve got the board meeting on Friday in a week and then we will know, so I don’t want to preempt what will happen at the meeting,” he said.
(Sport24)
Looks like Frans and Sepp are cut from similar cloth when it comes to “falling on one’s sword”!
On a more serious note, it seems like trying to keep depth in a playing squad is becoming increasingly more difficult, and I’m not sure that throwing more money at fringe players is necessarily what the players want.
Eish. Glad I’m not in Rugby admin’ any longer. (Not that the Lions ever had money to throw at anything when I was involved!)
1 @ Scrumdown:
And whilst on the subject of falling on one’s sword, PLEASE Messers Hoskins and Roux, follow the “honourable” Mr Blatter’s example and free us of your collective presence.
@ Scrumdown:
in 1998 het die leeus 16 mil uit gehaal om vir rassie, aj venter,jorrie kruger,chris kruger,en n paar ander vrystaat spelers te koop
ou atter na amper ses maande van jou in n bulls trui sien kan ek met n oop gemoed se jy lyk nog net so crap in daai trui soos aan die begin van die jaar,fokkit man jy moes vasgebyt het,daar is naka weg ons het n jong dinamiese nuwe afrigter……en jy speel vir die bulls
@ smallies:
haha hy lyk netjies in daai trui.
Ek wonder maar net, Naka is weg, maar die vrystaat bestuur is meestal onveranderd?
Die Bulle het nog n grooter probleem, almal kak in hulle broek oor Ludeke, maar die unie is in n tailspin in my opinie, as hulle volgende jaar Vic en FDP aanstel gaan ek sommer my ondersteuning van die Bulle staak, dit is bloot net fuct up.
@ MacroPolo:
hy lyk sommer kak man…….ek gaan nou iets se wat baie bulls se moere gaan op jaag ,die bulls moes vir pine gelos het en nie ingegrup het nie,hy wou die bulls leer om met die bal in die hand te speel maar toe was wen te belangrik vir die bulls bestuur
@ smallies:
die Bulls het baie driee gedruk selfs met morne steyn op loskakel, so ek glo nie daar was fout met die “ou” game plan nie.
Selfs die jaar het dit op tye goed gegaan, maar dit is asof daar n switch in die ouens se koppe afgaan, die ouens het ook nie meer selfvertroue nie, want party spelers word duidelik voorgetrek, so die ouens speel nie meer vir mekaar nie.
@ smallies:
die bulle se probleem is weer by die afbreukpunte, die ouens wil nou oor almal hardloop, waar voor die toer die ouens mooi saam gespeel het en die voorspelers effort gemaak het om skoon bal te verseker, nou will almal in die agterlyn staan en dit maak ons bal staties, dan skop ons, of die ouens word terug geduik, waarna hul anyway weer skop.
MacroPolo wrote:
Jy kan nie die “ou” gameplan speel as jy nie die forwards het om weer die bal terug te kry nie
As jy die bal uitskop maar jy’t niemand om die lynstaan bal te wen nie het jy net besit weggegee. Sonder Victor kan jy nie so speel nie
As jou forwards balbesit omkeer en ‘n skrum kry beter jy die skrum wen, nie opeindig met ‘n strafskop teen hulle soos die Bulle nou al die laaste paar jaar doen nie. Met swak stutte soos Dean en Kruger gaan jy nooit goed skrum nie
En wat doen die Bulle, verleng beide se kontrakte
smallies wrote:
Kak man, hy is net nog een van die maaitjies of seun van ‘n maaitjie van die Broederbond/Tuks/Affies Mafia wat die Bulls bestuur
Hulle lyk ook almal dieslefde, kyk na hom en Xander, altwee sulke rondegesig pie vreters, jy kan sien hulle het nog nooit ‘n ete gemis nie (vergelyk hulle met Jimmy of Ackers)
Hy kon niks met die Blou Bulle uitrig nie en in plaas van hom fire help hy nou die Bulls afrig, ek dink hy’s die verdedigings afrigter
@ Victoriabok:
Kyk ek stem daar is moerse tekortkome met die voorspelers, maar Victor was sover baie goed met sy verdediging, maar Grant Hattingh het met minder tyd al meer lynstaan balle as Vic gesteel.
Hulle het al gewys hoe hulle kan speel, (eerste helfte lions game, crusaders, cheetahs game). Daar is definitief iets dieper fout as Ludeke en om hom weg te wens gaan niks doen nie.
Spankeuses is wel nie sy sterkpunt nie, maar is n easy scapegoat, Dis nie net Dean en Kruger nie dis ons hele voorry, en dit beteken net een ding vir my, ons het n kak scrum afrigter… en dit gaan weer boontoe wat ons nie goed scrum nie… maar jy warri net oor Dean en Kruger?
@ MacroPolo:
old habits die hard jong,die grootste probleem in sa rugby is offload in die tackle situasie daar is weinig wat dit kan doen en nog minders wat die regte lyne hardloop om so n offload te benut.die meeste spelers sal kontak maak en die bal try recycle,dis n stadige een dimensionele proses wat net nog n ruck tot gevolg het
@ smallies:
en die bulle kon dit doen, hulle het gereeld van die SA spanne pakslae gegee, ouens soos Wynand Olivier was gereeld afgekraak, maar het gereeld ouens sy “bitch” gemaak, hy kon dit net nooit op internationale vlak doen nie… Ettiene Botha wat nogsteeds my speler van die 2000’s is het kringe om die ouens gehardloop. Daar is geen manier wat die bulle nog “dieselfde” rugby speel nie.
Dit lyk wel of die bulle ver agter geraak het by die afbreukpunte, net om n spesialis te kry en om n scrumafrigter te kry, sal klaar n klomp probleme uitsort, maar die mafia kyk net agter hulself.
@ MacroPolo:
ettiene botha was n savant gewees,hy en jacobs kon n killer senter paar vir die bokke gewees het,so jammer dat hy so tragies weg is
@ Victoriabok:
pine het baie goed gedoen by die vrystaat waar met die bal in die hand gespeel is,toe gaan hy pta toe waar kick chase destyds n godsdiens was……natuurlik gaan hy misluk
MacroPolo wrote:
1.) Ludeke het niks gewen sedert 2010 nie
2.) Ludeke kon net wen met ‘n ready made span wat hy by HM gekry het, die span wat hy self gebou het suig donkie
3.) Die coach kies die span en maak aanbevelings oor voortgesette kontrakte.
4.) Frans bly vir Dean en Werner kies. Frans wil Dean vir nog ‘n jaar gekontrakteer
5.) Frans speel nie belowende jong spelers soos WSS en Bongi en Hanro se broer nie maar speel eerder sy favorites soos JJ en Callie
6.) Ons skrums sukkel omdat hy niks daaraan doen nie, as jou stutte swak is gaan die beste skrumafrigter in die wêreld nie help nie. As jy boonop weet jou skrumafrigter kom nie die mas op nie vra jy net vir bestuur en hulle huur ‘n ander een
7.) As jou haker die hele week lynstaan ingooie oefen en Saterdag nogsteeds nie die bal by Victor kry nie hoort hy nie op die veld nie. Maar hy bly vir Callie speel. Callie kan nie ingooi nie, nie skrum nie en doen niks die res van die tyd nie, kyk na sy stats. Hoekom bly Frans hom kies?
8.) Daar is fout by die unie, maar die eerste probleem is Frans, ons kort ‘n afrigter. Die probleem gaan nie weggaan as Victor volgende jaar afrig nie, inteendeel dit gaan net aangaan soos nou.
Die Bulle moet eers heeltemal rock bottom tref en die geld moet opraak, soos wat gebeur het in die vroeë 90’s en 2000’s voor Heyneke oorgeneem het.
Toe die enigste beker wat ons gewen het die Curriebeker B divisie Bankfin Beker was.
Net soos die Lions voordat Luyt hulle gered het en ‘n paar jaar terug toe Kevin de Klerk, John Mitchell en Ackers hulle omgedraai het
@ Victoriabok:
lions het ook onder die ludeke faktor deur geloop
MacroPolo wrote:
Gaan kyk bietjie hoeveel Super 14 drieë Wynand gedruk het in die jare wat die Bulle sterk was. Hy was nie ‘n SPringbok nie maar ‘n goeie Super Rugby vlak speller
smallies wrote:
Hy het hulle jare teruggesit
Hulle het nooit iets gewen nie
Die fans het opgehou op rugby toe te kom en Ellispark was leeg
Die spelers het na ander unies toe gegaan
Hulle het nie sponsors gehad nie
Dit klink presies net soos die pad wat die Bulls nou op is
@ Victoriabok:
1) Was 2013 regtig so kak gewees? ek weet ons kon nie die trofee wen nie, maar in my boek is n home semi-finaal redelik “above average” inderdaar ons het net in die laaste paar minute verloor, en deur die seisoen was ons goed oppad na ‘n home finaal toe, tot Pierre Spies seergekry het.
2) Meyer was in 2008 weg by die bulle, toe kom ouens soos Pieter Russouw by, en hulle het tot 2013 ge”ry” op Meyer se span? Ek glo dit nie vir n sekonde nie… hulle moes tog IETS reg gedoen het?… Onthou ook da Meyer loop in 2012 met meeste van die “brainstrust”, so het Ludeke ‘n span bymekaar getrek wat net een jaar later sterk title contenders was… Dan vra ons onsself hoekom loop Pieter? Dis omdat die unie nou so vol kak nou is, daar het heavy iets skeef geloop.
3) Die coach dalk, maar hy is verseker nie die meerderheids aandeel houer van al die besluite agter geslote deure nie.
4) Morne Mellet is ook shocking die jaar, inderdaad hy is die jaar die swakste van die lot.
5) WSS het n helse lifeline gekry in die CB verlede jaar en kon dit nie aangryp nie. En het die jaar n langtermyn besering gehad, Burger Odendaal het hom toe verby gesteek en kry gereeld speelkans.
6) Hy en die Bulle rugby unie doen niks nie.
7) Callie is nie goed genoeg nie, ek stem, Maku wat heel jaar beseer is het ook nie gehelp nie.
8) Vertaan my reg as ek se dat dit Frans se tyd is om aan te beweeg en dalk n ou soos robert du preez nader te trek. Ludeke is verseker in my oe nie die probleem nie, maar ‘n simtome van die probleem.
MacroPolo wrote:
Ettienne is die rede hoekom ek nie van Jake the Snake hou nie, hy wou hom nooit kies vir die Bokke nie
Die unie kan nie eers reguit met hul speler praat nie, kyk hoe kak het hulle Spies en Hougie hanteer, geen besigheid in die wereld gaan suksesvol wees as dit so bestuur word nie.
MacroPolo wrote:
Robert du Preez sal nie vir die Bulls werk nie, hulle het hom swak behandel en hy is onder ‘n wolk weg by Noord Transvaal.
Ek het gehoor hy het een van die beamptes se vrou gespyker, ek het gehoor dis Eugene van Wyk s’n maar ek is nie seker nie
@ MacroPolo:
Ludeke moet waai.
Punt
As hy nie die skrums en die skrumafrigter kan uitsort nie , hoort hy nie daar nie
As hy aanhou om swak spelers (Spies, JJ, Visser, Dean, Werner, Callie, Stegmann, JLP)* voor te trek teenoor opkomende jong talent, hoort hy nie daar nie
As hy nie die balls het om Victor op sy plek te sit nie hoort hy nie daar nie
*-As hy van daardie agt ontslae raak sal dinge al klaar verbeter
@ Victoriabok:
Niemand by die unie het die balls om vic op sy plek te sit nie
Ek weet regtig nie waaroor julle so kla nie, ek dink Ludeke is n great coach en die beste ding wat met die Stormers…..ek bedoel Bulle kon gebeur het.
Hy moet asb bly en Victor en Fourie kan saam met hom inspring.
Ek dink ook Callie is n genie en gee ook asb vir Visser meer speelkans.
Dean en co is tops, baie bly hulle is vasgeteken by julle, hulle is die toekoms
MacroPolo wrote:
Ludeke het ‘n goeie span geërf wat himself kon afrig, net soos die Bokke onder Snor
Die span se prestasie het afwaarts begin gaan soos HM se ster spelers begin weggaan het
Daar is kak by die unie, Barend is soos Sepp Blatter, sy tyd is verby.
Hy het hom ingewurm nadat hy die ou wat werklik die Bulle laat opstaan het, Stephan Pretorius, uitgewerk het
Stephan het Heyneke aangestel en hulle het besluit om jong spelers te kontrakteer, dis al wat hulle kon bekostig
MacroPolo wrote:
Ons sal Bakkies roep om hom uit te sort
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