Strauss leads Vodacom Bulls to Cape Town and a new era
Vodacom Bulls coach Nollis Marais named an exciting and young squad to travel to Cape Town where they will face DHL Stormers in the opening weekend of the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby competition.
The Vodacom Bulls will be captained by Adriaan Strauss, one of nine Springboks in the team. The team has a youthful look about it and features four debutants at this level in the starting team.
Warrick Gelant (fullback), Nic de Jager (flank), Jannes Kirsten (flank) and RG Snyman (lock) will make debuts at this level, with Lizo Gqoboka (prop) and Jason Jenkins (lock) the rookies on the bench.
The likes of Francois Brummer, Tian Schoeman, Roelof Smit, Jaco Visagie and Hencus van Wyk also have only a handful number of games at this level, but that does not faze Marais.
"They are playing for us because they are good enough. I have faith in this group. Yes, we have some injuries, but that is part of the rugby landscape. I back this team to go down to Cape Town and do us proud," Marais said.
The Vodacom Bulls have not done well at DHL Newlands in recent times and last won in Cape Town in 2011 and also lost six of their last eight matches to their Cape foes, but Marais believes a new era is looming.
"We certainly will be up against it and could not have asked for a tougher assignment than this. This group of players have the talent to become a special team, so if they can find some continuity and momentum in the game, we will be competitive," Marais said.
Strauss also expressed confidence.
"We have definite goals for the season. This is a new team, new era and for that matter, a new competition. We have very skilful players and if we can guarantee them enough ball, they will score tries. We need to be competitive upfront and if we are, I believe we will be in with a good chance. We are playing a very solid team at home though, so does not really have an option to take our best game to Newlands."
The team (with Super Rugby caps) is: Warrick Gelant (0), Travis Ismaiel (6), Jesse Kriel (17), Jan Serfontein (36), Bjorn Basson (86), Francois Brummer (5), Rudy Paige (21), Arno Botha (33), Jannes Kirsten (0), Nic de Jager (0), Grant Hattingh (48), RG Snyman (0), Marcel van der Merwe (33), Adriaan Strauss (118, c), Trevor Nyakane (58). Replacements: Jaco Visagie (3), Lizo Gqoboka (0), Hencus van Wyk (1), Jason Jenkins (0), Roelof Smit (3), Piet van Zyl (54), Tian Schoeman (7), Burger Odendaal (10).
Notes:
•Warrick Gelant, Nic de Jager, Jannes Kirsten and RG Snyman will make their Vodacom Bulls debut for the run-on side, while Lizo Gqoboka and Jason Jenkins will do so when they take the field.
•Francois Brummer made his Vodacom Bulls debut for the Bulls at this venue in 2010.
New partner announced
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd on Wednesday also announced a prestigious medical partnership with KeyHealth.
“It is a very good fit for us,” said Barend van Graan, CEO of the BBM. “Key Health is a well-established and highly respected brand and we are very proud with this association.”
STERKTE BULLE
Kom Bulle julle skuld ons n wen teen die Stormers.
Sterkte manne maak ons trots
Soos hierbo genoem ons weet nie wat die situasie is met Smit nie. Maar as hy 100% is sou ek hom speel asook Burger.
Kom ons hoop maar Serfontein speel laat ons monde oop hang.
ek is ietwat stom geslaan dat Hanru Liebenberg se naam nêrens verskyn nie. Hy moet sekerlik seer gekry het. En Francois Brummer bo Schoeman? Nog ''n verrassing is Hencus van Wyk op die reserwebank.
Ek sal wag om te kyk wat die plan met Odendaal is.
Verder, goeie pak met drie lang manne en 2 goeie fetchers, die voorry is ysters. Hierdie agterlyn het net goeie bal nodig en ons sal die Stormers kan verras
Ons het verlede jaar elke keer swak begin hier id kaap en dan moes ons catch up speel teen hul goeie verdediging. Begin goed en bly id game Bulle.
Hencus nog nooit 'n sterk skrummer gewees nie, dink hy is bloot gekies in Werner se plek wat klaar gebrandmerk is vir 5 strafskoppe voor die game begin het, nou gaan dit dalk net 3 wees teen ons in die laaste 15. Res van reserwe voorry nog baie nat agter die ore. Sal vir Trevor of Marcel 80 min laat speel,Trevor kan ook sak op vaskop.
Hele paar spelers maak hul debuut, gaan 60 min vat om in die game te kom. Groot vuurdoop!
Brummer bo Tian, die Kaap juig, want dit beteken skoprugby, hoop hy bewys my verkeerd.
Ses en sewe ook nog onervare en speel eerste keer saam as nuwe lostrio.
Ismael het ons ongelukkig altwee WP driee gekos in laasjaar se CB semi, sou Ulengo gespeel het.
Hoop Jan skrik wakker en speel weer soos hy kan, en dat Roelof 100 persent is.
Ons het nodig dat Strauss, Trevor, Hattingh en Arno voor, en Paige, Jan, Kriel en Basson agter op alle silinders hardloop, vir ons span om 'n kans te staan.
Gelukkig is al die druk op die Stormers om te wen.
'n Wen sal wonderlik wees, maar vir my is die belangrikste om te sien of ons game plan regtig verander het, en of ons skrums regkom.
https://youtu.be/7eT7Dj584sw
Dra die bal goed en skrum ook nie te sleg nie - volgens die hoogte punte.
Hy verdedig ook goed en plaas die bal baie mooi terug as hy grond toe gaan
Hy het glo as agsteman begin.
Ek dink met die regte afrigting kan hy dit nog ver bring. Wel ek hoop ten minste so.
https://youtu.be/5bjn6pRdaCc
Bulle gaan weer skop en skop en skop
Vir volgende 4 jaar gaan ons weer hoor Jong span
Wys my verkeerd asb bulle
Jannes het my baie beindruk in die tweede helfte teen die Leeus, ek sal hom 'n kans gee. Ek glo Hanro is meer 'n agsteman en hy is stadiger as Jannes.
Brummer at 10, as the journalists predicted. I can see that the Bulls will up the tempo after half time with Schoeman and Odendaal and Smit coming from the bench.
Overall - we have too many new comers - 6 in the starting line up. Even if this game was played at Loftus I would not have given the young Bulls a chance.
Ek het heelwat van die ouens nog nie eens sien speel nie maar ek glo dat ons die stormers kan klop.
Ons voorspelers moet net hul man kan staan en die agterspelers moet die bal die werk laat doen.
Taktiese skopwerk sal altyd deel van rugby wees. Gaan ons taktiese skoppe110% reg wees. Kom ons hoop so
As ons hulle kan hou in die vaste fasette, het ons n skraal kans. En toe sien ek Joubert is die ref vir die game. Vergeet maar, selfs Matfield se super span het gesukkel om average Stormers spanne te klop op Nuweland met Joubert as ref.
Good luck Bulle