Blue Bulls
Jacques-Louis Potgieter
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd is pleased to confirm that flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter has signed an extension to his contract till 2016.
Potgieter joined the Vodacom Bulls earlier in the season from France following stints with Bayonne and Dax and immediately proved to be a valuable asset to the squad.
He has started in 10 of 12 matches since his arrival and scored 142 points at an average of 11.8 points per match. This included a try, 13 conversions, 34 penalties and three dropped goals.
Referee: Marais van Zyl
A referee from the Blue Bulls referees association is recovering in hospital after allegedly being assaulted following a club game in Gardens, Pretoria.
Marais van Zyl was hit over the head by a crash helmet and is recovering in the Montana hospital in Pretoria.
It is believed he was attacked by two supporters who were upset with his performance during the game.
The Vodacom Bulls may well add Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane to their ranks as their next acquisition when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Nyakane, who became a Springbok last season but was dropped because of disciplinary issues, is known to be on the target list of the Bulls as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2015 season.
With 12 titles out of 16 between them, three of the four teams contesting the Vodacom Cup semi-finals this weekend – all of them from the North Section – know a thing or two about winning this competition.
It’s only the Steval Pumas, runners up in 2013 and the only unbeaten team this season, that hasn’t won the Vodacom Cup.
But the Golden Lions, whose title last year was their fifth, GWK Griquas (four-times champions) and the Vodacom Blue Bulls (three-time champions) have dominated the competition between them since its inception in 1998.
A late venue change handed the Vodacom Blue Bulls home ground advantage for their Vodacom Cup semifinal match against defending champions, the Golden Lions, on Saturday.
The two teams will now meet at Loftus Versfeld due to the hosts finishing above their southern neighbour on the points log.
The match was originally scheduled for Johannesburg on Friday, but a proper look at the regulations of the competition prompted a venue switch.
GWK Griquas scored the biggest playoff victory in the history of the Vodacom Cup as all four teams from the North Section proved too strong for their counterparts from the South and progressed to the semi-finals.
With three of the winning margins over the weekend between one and seven points, GWK Griquas’ 84-15 victory over the SWD Eagles perhaps best illustrated the dominance the North had over the South.
The previous biggest victory in a playoff match also involved the team from the Northern Cape, when they lost 73-7 to the Golden Lions in the 1999 Final.
The Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls, with eight Vodacom Cup titles between them, had to travel for their quarter-finals, while the Steval Pumas and GWK Griquas won their playoffs at home.
This means that for a second successive year the winner of the Vodacom Cup will come from the North Section – last year the Golden Lions proved too strong for the Steval Pumas in the Final in Nelspruit.
The Steval Pumas, Cell C Sharks XV, GWK Griquas and Toyota Free State XV will host the four Vodacom Cup quarter-finals after the pool phase of the competition came to an exciting conclusion this weekend.
It was an exciting end to the competition in 2014, with a total of 75 tries scored in the eight pool matches at an average of just over nine per match, or one try every eight or so minutes.
While the North Section went pretty much as expected and the Steval Pumas managed the become the only team to go through their pool matches unbeaten, the last round in the South Section saw the log getting a proper overhaul following upsets in Durban and George on Friday evening.
The Bulls are reportedly eager to attain the services of Springbok and Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen.
The 21-year-old’s contract with the Cheetahs expires on 31 October this year and it appears the Cheetahs will have their hands full to convince him to stay in Bloemfontein.
Following a strategic meeting by the board of the Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd, it was decided that Vodacom Bulls Head Coach Frans Ludeke, following the completion of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition, will continue in a similar position with the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the Absa Currie Cup.
Victor Matfield made his return to the playing field, but it was not enough to prevent the Stormers recording an impressive 26-19 win at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
The Super Rugby pre-season outing in Polokwane was a double blow for the Bulls, who will also be concerned about another knee injury suffered by star loose forward Arno Botha, the extent of which is knot known at this juncture, although it seemed a serious injury.
It was a strong second half performance and a late try that secured the win for the Stormers, who outscored the Bulls by four tries to three.
The Bulls are expected to provide a stern pre-season test for the relatively young Stormers tight five in Polokwane on Saturday.
The versatile Rynhardt Elstadt is the oldest in the Stormers engine room at just 24, although he and loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff have three years of Super Rugby experience whilst Frans Malherbe and Scarra Ntubeni both toured with the Springboks at the end of last year.
This weekend sees the only Vodacom Bulls warm-up fixture in preparation for Super Rugby in 2014. The Bulls play the DHL Stormers in Polokwane.
In an interesting twist, the Bulls will also use the curtain raiser game between the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Golden Lions as part of their Super Rugby preparations, with a strong side which closely resmbles their Currie Cup side, to face the 2nd string Golden Lions outfit. This Bulls side will include the likes of Piet van Zyl at scrumhalf, Handré Pollard at flyhalf and a number of Bulls players who will see enough Super Rugby time in 2014.
Record-breaking wing Bjorn Basson has extended his contract with the Bulls and will be available for the Pretoria franchise until the end of October 2016.
Basson, who holds the national and Currie Cup record for tries in a season and the Bulls’ record for tries in a Super Rugby season, was also part of the Springbok squad in 2013.
The precinct around ‘Fortress’ Loftus will undergo a major facelift over the next two years. Loftus Park, which may best be described as an exclusive shopping and office precinct, valued at R1,2 Billion on completion, is expected to be fully functional and operational by the beginning of 2016, with actual construction starting towards the middle of 2014.
Blue Bulls Under 19 – (21) 35 / 23 (9) – Golden Lions Under 19 (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 19 and MTN Golden Lions Under 19 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 19 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 12:30 SA Time (10:30 GMT).
Western Province Under 21 – (16) 30 / 23 (13) – Blue Bulls Under 21 (Final Score)
DHL Western Province Under 21 and Vodacom Blue Bulls Under 21 did battle in the Currie Cup Under 21 Final at
Newlands, Cape Town at 14:30 SA Time (12:30 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The matches were broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd is pleased to announce that a number of players have extended their contracts with the BBC and will be available for the Vodacom Bulls and Vodacom Blue Bulls till 2015.
Top of the list is 33 test capped lock Flip van der Merwe, who signed an extension till 31 October 2015.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls exit out of the Absa Currie Cup competition has come as a welcome bonus for the under-21 side, who face their own semifinal this weekend.
The round-robin stages of the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division this weekend reached an exciting conclusion, as DHL Western Province maintained their unbeaten run to retain the No1 spot on the log, while the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and MTN Golden Lions secured their semifinal berths.
DHL Western Province will host the MTN Golden Lions in the first semifinal in Cape Town next Saturday, while The Sharks will meet the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Durban in the other pay-off match.
The Lions and Cheetahs finished the league stages level on 26 log points thanks to the four-try bonus point bagged by the Johannesburg team in their clash against GWK Griquas.
FS Cheetahs (10) 22 / 7 (7) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The Toyota Free State Cheetahs and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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What a final round of Currie Cup rugby this is turning out to be. At one end of the table we have the Sharks and Western Province battling each other for the number one spot and at the other end we have the Free State Cheetahs and the Blue Bulls playing for the final semi final spot.
The Golden Lions are also by no means safe. If they lose to the Griquas and do not score any bonus points and the Blue Bulls manage a win, then the Golden Lions could find themselves in 5th place. This does not seem likely, taking current form into account.
This is the last weekend of the pool stages and it is turning into a quasi-play-off weekend, with the top two teams battling for 1st place and 3 teams competing for the last two semi final spots. What more can we ask for.
Free State Cheetahs coach Naka Drotské, named a strong lineup and a virtual Super Rugby quality side to face the Vodacom Blue Bulls on Saturday in Bloemfontein for their Currie Cup clash.
Not only will they start with Coenie Oosthuizen at loosehead, but Coenie will have 2 Springboks next to him in the front row, with Adriaan Strauss at hooker and re-taking the captaincy and with Trevor Nyakane at tighthead.
But the biggest news is probably that the almost forgotton young brilliant flyhalf, Johan Goosen, might be back on the field from the bench, should he pass a fitness test on Friday. Goosen has been out of action since injuring his knee in training on the Cheetahs’ Australasian tour in Super Rugbyof 2013. He was set to return to action earlier, take part in the match against Griquas which was played this past weekend, but a few weeks ago he had to undergo an operation to remove a troubling appendix, which naturally delayed his return.
Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar included Springboks JJ Engelbrecht and Jan Serfontein in his backline and promoted loose forward Jacques Engelbrecht to his starting pack for Saturday’s do-or-die Absa Currie Cup clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
The Bok midfield duo will play for the Vodacom Blue Bulls for the first time this season and will replace William Small-Smith and Francois Venter respectively. Small-Smith will move to the Under-21’s and Venter to the bench.
A number of songs immediately come to mind when one considers the position of the Vodacom Blue Bulls in their do or die match on the weekend in Bloemfontein against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs.
Here’s one of them…
With The Rugby Championship now done and dusted, the Springbok players involved look set to be returning to their Provincial Unions and respective overseas Clubs to continue plying their trade.
This of course leaves Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer a worried man and wishing he was in the fortunate situation which the All Blacks coach finds himself, where the All Black players will rest some more before the November Internationals start (of course there is still the matter of a Bledisloe Cup encounter between the All Blacks and Wallabies to consider on 18 October).
Blue Bulls (6) 16 / 18 (9) Sharks (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and The Sharks did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Loftus Versveld, Pretoria at 19:10 SA Time (17:10 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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As we enter Round 9 of the Currie Cup Premier Division of 2013, the Sharks and WP find themselves topping the Log with 28 points each. The closest rival here is the Golden Lions who are on 21 points. With WP and the Sharks playing each other next weekend in the final match before the semi-finals, this weekend is a must win weekend end for both sides at the top.
The Blue Bulls, who are facing the Sharks, is in a must win situation for them if they would like to keep their semi-final hopes alive, as a win for the Free State Cheetahs this weekend could see an end to their Currie Cup season, if they lose.
Bjorn Basson will make a welcome return to the Vodacom Blue Bulls side to play The Sharks in an Absa Currie Cup match at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The winger, who scored two tries in his only appearance for the Blue Bulls in the competition this year, has been released by the Springboks ahead of their test match against New Zealand in Johannesburg.
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend cemented their Absa Currie Cup Premier Division semifinal spots and set themselves in good stead for home semifinals, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls reignited their semifinal chances.
In a weekend of away wins, the Sharks fought their way to a 31-25 victory against the MTN Golden Lions in Johannesburg, DHL Western Province pipped the Toyota Free State Cheetahs 29-27 in Bloemfontein and the Vodacom Blue Bulls thumped GWK Griquas 52-10 in Kimberley.
Griquas (10) 10 / 52 (15) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
GWK Griquas and the Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
GWK Park, Kimberley at 14:00 SA Time (12:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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As we enter Round 8 of the 2013 Currie Cup, the Sharks and Western Province are setting the pace at the top of the Log, with 24 Log points each. The Griquas find themselves in last place with only 10 Log points.
With only 2 rounds remaining after this weekend the Sharks and Western Province have probably already booked their places in the semi-finals. The Blue Bulls find themselves in a must win scenario this weekend as a loss this weekend could see them end last on the Log and totally miss out in the race for a semi final place, they now already find themselves 5 Log points behind the 4th placed Free State Cheetahs.
The recall of a fit-again Handré Pollard, first starts to William Small-Smith and David Bullbring and returns for Sampie Mastriet and Marcel van der Merwe highlights the Vodacom Blue Bulls team announcement ahead of their Absa Currie Cup clash against GWK Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday.
In all, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar made six changes to his starting line-up, with Jurgen Visser also returning at fullback and Clayton Blommetjies dropping to the bench.
The Sharks and DHL Western Province this weekend strengthened their chances of home semifinals in the Absa Currie Cup Premier Division, while the Vodacom Blue Bulls and GWK Griquas continued their struggle to make their presence felt.
With only three pool rounds remaining the Sharks and Western Province need only two more log points to cement their semifinal places, while the Blue Bulls and Griquas face a daunting task to sneak into the semifinals after each side managed to secure only a bonus point this weekend.
Golden Lions (13) 35 / 26 (7) Blue Bulls (Final Score)
The MTN Golden Lions and Vodacom Blue Bulls did battle in the Currie Cup Premier Division at
Ellis Park, Johannesburg at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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As we enter Round 7 of the 2013 Currie Cup, WP is setting the pace at the top of the Log, with 20 Log points. The Griquas find themselves in last place with 9 Log points.
A win for the Shark and Western Province this weekend could almost assure them of a semi final spot, in this scenario the Free State Cheetahs, Golden Lions and Blue Bulls are still fighting for the last two spots. A loss for the Griquas this weekend could see them remain in last position.
The return of Absa Currie Cup record try scorer Bjorn Basson will boost the Vodacom Blue Bulls ahead of their Absa Currie Cup match against the MTN Golden Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Basson, who holds the record for most Currie Cup tries in a season, has been released by the Springboks for this match and will start on the left wing, where he replaces Sampie Mastriet.