Vodacom Bulls must start well against DHL Stormers
The latest edition of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition kicks off in Johannesburg on Friday where the Emirates Lions will take on the visiting Hurricanes from New Zealand, but most attention should be on Durban and Pretoria come Saturday.
Local derbies tend to get the juices flowing in the early stages of the rugby year and with two high-calibre clashes between the Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs and Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers respectively, a massive opening Saturday awaits.
This year will again see five South African franchises in action and all will be keen to add their names to the coveted title. The Vodacom Bulls (2007, 2009, and 2010) are the only South African side who has managed to win this sought-after crown, played by the best franchise teams from SA, New Zealand and Australia.
The North versus South derbies remain some the most anticipated clashes on the local Vodacom Super Rugby calendar and the late Saturday clash between the Vodacom Bulls and the visiting DHL Stormers will be no different.
The Stormers will be well aware of past visits to Loftus Versfeld and the stranglehold the Bulls have on them at this venue. The home side has lost only one of their last 19 matches at home and in 2014 they were unbeaten in Pretoria. The Stormers lost seven of eight away last year and lost their opening matches in 2013 and 2014.
That said, the visitors will be boosted by the fact that they won last year's Absa Currie Cup in exciting fashion, playing a different kind of rugby than in Super Rugby, where they only scored 18.1 points per match, the lowest in the competition.
The Stormers will back their defence to keep their try-line intact and they could well succeed in doing so if the Bulls do not cure their try-scoring blues. The home side only scored 1.8 tries per match in 2014, fewer than any other team.
Victor Matfield, the most experienced South African in the competition (138 matches) and most experienced captain ever (82), will be looking at forcing the visitors into a forward-dominated game.
The Bulls had the best line-out rate in 2014 (91%) and the Stormers just 78%, so they will look to dominate that phase again. The visitors also face another potential obstacle in flyhalf Handrè Pollard, who kicked 26 out of 28 shots (93%) at goal last year, the best rate of the season.
Vodacom Bulls coach Frans Ludeke included all three off-season recruits, former Toyota Cheetahs hooker, Adriaan Strauss, prop Trevor Nyakane and flanker Lappies Labuschagne in the starting line-up. Ludeke also included Arno Botha at number eight, the first time the loose forward will play Super Rugby since June 1st, 2013.
Ludeke, who will be in charge of the team for an eight 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.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee named three Springboks and six DHL Stormers debutants in the match day squad. Wings Johnny Kotze and Dillyn Leyds and tighthead prop Vincent Koch are the new faces in the run-on side, with the new faces on the bench being Bongi Mbonambi (former Bulls hooker), tighthead prop Wilco Louw and outside back Huw Jones.
New skipper Duane Vermeulen will lead the team from the No.8 position in a match which Coetzee has described as a "tough assignment" and a "great challenge".
"We're looking forward to getting our campaign underway after a good pre-season and, as everyone knows, there's no greater challenge than facing the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld - be it your first game or your last game of the season. It is (a tough assignment), but it's been done before."
The teams are:
Vodacom Bulls: Jurgen Visser, Bjorn Basson, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Francois Hougaard, Handrè Pollard, Piet van Zyl, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (c), Jacques du Plessis, Werner Kruger, Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane. Replacements: Callie Visagie, Mornè Mellet, Dayan van der Westhuizen/Neethling Fouchè, Grant Hattingh, Pierre Spies, Rudy Paige, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jesse Kriel.
DHL Stormers: Cheslin Kolbe, Johnny Kotze, Juan de Jongh, Damian de Allende, Dillyn Leyds, Demetri Catrakilis, Nic Groom, Duane Vermeulen (c), Michael Rhodes, Rynhardt Elstadt, Ruan Botha, Jean Kleyn, Vincent Koch, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Oli Kebble, Wilco Louw, Jurie van Vuuren, Nizaam Carr, Louis Schreuder, Kurt Coleman, Huw Jones
Vital statistics (since 1998):
Played 22 Vodacom Bulls won 9; DHL Stormers won 12; one draw
Vodacom Bulls points scored: 502
DHL Stormers points scored: 476
Vodacom Bulls tries scored: 47
DHL Stormers tries scored: 44
Average score: 23-22 to the Vodacom Bulls
Match information:
Date: Saturday, 14 February
SA Time: 19h10
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco van Heerden (South Africa), Stephan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
Television match officials: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
Wie ookal verantwoordelik is vir die nuus op die web blad het of nie veel van 'n idee wat nuus is vir ondersteuners nie of weet dalk nie eers dat hulle SterdAG TEEN DIE pUMAS SPEEL NIE.
ASB. MENEER ???????? BEWYS MY ASB. VERKEERD..
Die Young Guns wat eintlik maar net uit Bulls spelers bestaan het tog seker al 'n opwarmings wedstryd gespeel.?? Die span kan ons as ondersteuners darem 'n aanduiding gee van wat om te verwag.
Mnr. die Webmeester is dit korrek dat die Valke se Gravenweek kaptein van 2014 by Tukkis studier??? Dit is tog nuuswaardig of nie?? Ek verwys na Quinton vd Schyf van E.G.Jansen. Ens,ens,ens.
Go boys 5 try's please
Sterkte aan al die Bulle vir more. WEN is al wat ons vra boys.
Mag die Bulle ook so maak.
Ek dink die hele oorskakeling na bal id hand op aanval gaan nog 'n projek wees in 2015. Curriebekerrugby is nie Superrugby nie. Hopelik hanteer spanne die sielkundige druk vanaf die media en publiek ook beter. As jy te veel hanteerfoute maak is dit tickets vir jou..
Sterkte.
GO BULLS
Spies 2min op veld knock
Visser jy is hond kak jou gemors
Ons scrum is lagwekkend
Arno nee wat speel eerder netbal jys lank genoeg
Rhodes duane en elstadt is wereld klas teen ons poefters.
Matfield tree af jys n liability
bulls skrum as 'n pak nie goed saam nie.
Stomers match ons fisiek en is meer intens gewees soveer by rucks. was 'n fout om Arno vandag te laat speel het. ons loosies kry slae.
kom Bulle. staan op.
Boikot Loftus
13 bokke teen 3 hahahaha en on kry slae nie eers n bonus punt nie
Al wat in spies se guns tel is dat hy dalk nog tyd nodig het maar daar is fokkol determinasie. Bring Hanro nader nou
Frans se verskonings sal wees ja we did close off the opportunities and we must learn from this
Ek weet nie wie moet eintlik die bullet bite nie dikgat frans of dikgat zuma
Dis te verwagte met dieselfde planslose afrigter
Pollard het nog glad nie gewys hoekom hy so hoog aangeslaan word nie, trouens enige Curriebeker losskakel wat al sy strafskoppe oorskop sal beter gewees het as hy vandag
Die twee fetchers het ook nie gewerk nie, die Stormers sonder 'n spesialis fetcher het meer turnovers gehad as die Bulls
Die slotpaar werk ook nie, jy het 'n lang slot en 'n swaar slot kombinasie nodig, twee boontjieranke gaan nie werk nie. Ons kort 'n swaar slot soos Willemse, dan sal ons ook beter skrum
Daar was geen vuur in die pak nie
Die Bulls het nie mongrel nie, en dis 'n groot probleem want jou voorspelers, veral jou vaste vyf moet agressie hê
Enige span wat met JJ Engelbrecht en Rudy Paige opdraf speel klaar met 'n agterstand, hulle hoort nie op hierdie vlak nie, miskien dalk net op Curriebeker vlak
Victor het die ondersteuners gevra om terug te kom Loftus toe
Victor, dink jy regtig mense gaan betaal om te sien hoe julle dieselfde swak rugby speel en verloor soos laasjaar?
Ons scrum kak vir 3 tot 4 jaar al maar niks verander nie.
Ek hou baie van hom maar hy kan nie net een wedstryd per seisoen speel nie
Miskien moet hy ophou gym en net fiksheids werk doen
Ek het die video gesien waar hy oefen, hy is nou fris genoeg
Hy bou dalk te veel spiere wat maklik seerkry
ONGELUKKIGE ONDERSTEUNER.
PS .Frans doen ons almal n guns en F**k off!!!!
Arrogansie!!! Dit is al wat dit is. Help nie jou spiere is groot , maar jy kan nie n bal vang nie.
En daar scrum n Puma ons moer toe!!! Jammer sy pa het nie geld gehad om hom in n goeie Pretoria skool te sit nie!!
Ons is nou die arrogante wp span van n paar jaar terug!!! Goed op papier en useless op die veld!!
Ek hoop van harte ek kan my woorde sluk in die volgende paar weke...maar dieselfe gesiggies is alweer halftyd op die skerm...
Net nog n Nuwe Blou Bul trui wat in die stofkas gebere gaan word???