Ulengo to make Vodacom Bulls debut
Former Springbok Sevens flyer Jamba Ulengo will make his Vodacom Super Rugby debut on Friday for the Vodacom Bulls when they take on the undefeated Cell C Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
The hard-running Ulengo, who scored 11 tries in 11 matches for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in last year’s Currie Cup, replaces Trevor Ismaiel on the right wing in the only change to the starting backline.
Up front, Vodacom Bulls coach Nollis Marais, also swopped Roelof Smit and Nic de Jager around, with Smit starting at open side and De Jager moving to the bench.
South Africa's current Young Player of the Year, Jesse Kriel, meanwhile, has been named on the bench. Kriel missed the Bulls win against the Rebels two weeks ago due to a head clash in training, but has been cleared to take the field against the leading South African team in the competition. He will replace Dries Swanepoel.
“Jamba was one of our star players last year and deserves an opportunity. We have good depth amongst our outside backs and I am happy to give Jamba a run against the Sharks,” Marais explained.
"To have a bye this early in the competition has pros and cons, but we decided to look at it in a positive way. It gave us time to work on the aspects of our game that was shown up by the Stormers and Rebels and it gave the likes of Jesse a chance to get match-fit again. The Sharks will arrive at Loftus with a lot of momentum and confidence, but we need to put a stop to that if we want to be successful," Marais said.
"We played with great spark in the first half against both the Stormers and Rebels, but our efforts in the second half of those matches did not deliver the same intensity and desire and that is something we worked on during the bye."
Vodacom Bulls captain Adriaan Strauss made it clear that his side is keen to get back to the field.
"The tournament has already showed why it is such a great one for players and spectators alike. There has been some great games so far and we can't wait to become part of the action again this weekend. This will be another typical South African derby with no mercy being given or asked. The Sharks have been great so far and will provide us with a massive test. But we would not want it any other way and to front that challenge in front of our home support will certainly spur us on."
The team to play the Cell C Sharks (with Super Rugby caps) is: Warrick Gelant (2), Jamba Ulengo (0), Jan Serfontein (38), Burger Odendaal (12), Bjorn Basson (88), Francois Brummer (7), Rudy Paige (23), Arno Botha (35), Jannes Kirsten (2), Roelof Smit (5), Grant Hattingh (50), RG Snyman (2), Marcel van der Merwe (35), Adriaan Strauss (120, c), Trevor Nyakane (60). Replacements: Jaco Visagie (4), Lizo Gqoboka (2), Hencus van Wyk (2), Jason Jenkins (2), Nic de Jager (2), Piet van Zyl (56), Tian Schoeman (9), Jesse Kriel (18).
Notes:
•Jamba Ulengo will make his Vodacom Super Rugby debut for the Vodacom Bulls. Ulengo is a former Springbok Sevens player.
Ek dink Roelof Smit kan ook dalk iets doen teen die Sharks.
Die voorry van die Bulle is heel skaflik. En Balie Swart is betrokke daarso in Pretoria.
Dit gaan beslis 'n wedstryd wees om te aanskou. Wonder of my goeie vriend VIS die wedstryd gaan bywoon. Amper vergeet ek, hy sal by die meer opwindende Kings wedstryd wees. HEHHEHEHE!!
Sterkte en moooi dag verder, almal.
Groete,
Wayne
Ek het vrydag afgevat en gaan deur ry PTA toe. Ek wil die slagting live kyk.
Ek sal na die game daar by daai groot brons bul wees as julle met my wil kom "gesels". En ek gaan definitief (soos ek gewoonlik maak as ek loftus besoek) op hom moet pis en twee gebruikte tampons op jy horings hang.
Sien julle daar...
Swak punte Brummer, Kirsten, Basson, Serfontein, Van Zyl, De Jager
Goed om Ulengo daar te sien.
Dink ons loosies mag dalk n pakslae gegee word. Tweeling en Marcel sal vir Kirsten toe oe bully en met Arno se vorm ook dalk net.
Sharks het gewys teen Stormers wat is passie, hoop ons sien dit ook van die Bulle en nie net vir die eerste 40 min nie.
Het so vermoede daar gaan meer Sharks fans wees as Bulle fans
Loftus spot on, ons is veronderstel om te bou (wel so se sommiges) maar ons speel Brummer. Op die oomblik is Nollis n Ludeke version no 2
Ek is jammer maar daardie Cortina van jou gaan mos nooit die lang trek maak, al die pad van Oos - London tot in Pretoria nie. Gaan jy minstens aandoen by 'n B&B;?
Ek stem saam met jou. Tian Schoeman is way beter. Ek onthou laasjaar het die Sharks ook teen die Bulle gespeel. Pollard moes ook afgaan met 'n besering. Ek was sommer baie bly toe ek die 'Eminem' kerel sien opkom in Pollard se plek.
Tot ek gesien het, die ou het nerves of steel en uitmuntend pale toe gekorrel, en nog 'n wen vir die Bulle. Alles in slegs sy eerste wedstryd!!!
Ek dink die 'coaching staff' mis 'n 'trick' deur nie met Tian Schoeman te begin nie. Maar weereens, miskien het Brummer 'n baie goeie wedstryd as hy hoor hoe word hy uitgejou deur VIS en sy familie op die pawiljoene.
Nog bekommerd oor Brummer en op die bank oor Piet, Hencus en de Jager.
Wat het Nollis teen Hanro, kan iemand ons vertel ?
Sterkte Bulle, hierdie is die game om te wys julle kan gefokus en passievol speel nie net vir 50 minute nie, maar die volle 80 minute !
Hy het sy debuut in die CB gemaak laasjaar en goed gespeel.
Hoop Nollis gee hom gou 'n kans, of is dit kwotas wat verhoed dat Pierre kan speel ?
Ek se ook Schoeman is die antwoord. Brummer is buitendien net op loan maar miskien bepaal daai leen kontrak dat hy 'n sekere minmum aantal minute moet speel of so iets. Miskien prober nollie dit uit die pad kry maar die problem is schoeman kry geen gametime nie en dis onregverdig teenoor hom. Hy verdien beter.
Ek verstaan die ouens soek speeltyd en ek praat glad nie goed van die Ludeke tendens om ouens heeltyd te speel wat glad nie op vorm is bo ouens wat duidelik baie meer hart en lus het om te speel. Maar veral die jonger ouens moet rustig wees. Nie almal kan dadelik super rugby speel nie. So kom ons vat bv vir hanro liebenberg. Al word hy nie gereeld gekies vir super rugby nie sal hy basies n plek gewaarborg word in die currie cup span en dalk nog self kaptein wees. Daar sal iewers wel geleentheid wees om 'n paar super wedstryde te speel maar dis nie so erg om eers bietjie selfvertroue te bou deur currie cup te speel nie.
Dan op 'n ander noot. Ek hoop regtig die bulle kan die wedstryd deurtrek hierdie vrydag. Ongelukkig weet ons nou al dat die bulle gewoonlik op 'n vrydagaand nie baie goed speel nie, maar ons hoop maar dat hulle hierdie af-week gebruik het om die kreukels uit te stryk.
Hier is die sharks span vir vrydag: 15. Willie Le Roux, 14. JP Pietersen, 13. Paul Jordaan, 12. Andre Esterhuizen, 11. Lwazi Mvovo, 10. Joe Pietersen, 9. Michael Claassens, 8. Daniel du Preez, 7. Phillip Van der Walt, 6. Marcell Coetzee, 5. Stephan Lewies, 4. Etienne Oosthuizen, 3. Lourens Adriaanse, 2. Kyle Cooper, 1. Tendai Mtawarira (captain). Replacements: 16. Franco Marais, 17. Juan Schoeman, 18. Coenie Oosthuizen, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Keegan Daniel, 21. Cobus Reinach, 22. Garth April, 23. Odwa Ndungane
n Baie goeie span, maar glad nie onoorwinbaar nie ! GO BULLE GO !!
Ons kan hulle klop!
Lag Stormers verloor weer die naweek teen Brumbies!!!!!
Spartacus - In my opinion the CC - or at least the first no-purpose at all rounds of 13 matches that doesn;t count for anything, will really not be an inspiration for any player any more. "at least they get a chance" what if you can get the same chance in Europe to play in a really top league. For someone with the ability of Hanro Liebenberg - who plays towards the ball and forward to the opposition - a ball carrying ability that we currently lack among our loosies, the prospect of playing Currie Cup s no yellow carrot.
Tiaan Schoeman is good enough to play as our first choice flyhalf behind Pollard. His line kicking and has more length than Brummer's. His attacking play is better.
From what I read between the lines - the Bulls were looking for experience at 10.. To date, Brummer has never failed a kick at goal in his superrugby career.
Dis n mors van tyd en talent. So volgende jaar , wanneer Pollard terug is, het ons nog steeds nie n soortgelyke tipe backup vir hom nie a.g.v. Nollis se volharding met Brummer. Maar nou ja, dit lyk al vir jare asof daar zero langtermyn beplanning gedoen word by Loftus nie... so hoekom is ons verbaas?
Sharks met 15 punte
Bulle skrum swak
Lynstane swak
Back line geen teenaanvalle
Senters spell crash ball so wel as losskakel
Lostrio staan te veel strafskop pe af
Bench voorspelers nie op standard
skrumskakel vat te kanker voor hy skoon maak
Skop besit doeloos weg week na week
En ons rekord op vrydae aand power
Kom bulle wys on verkeerd asb
Hopefully brummer can surprise us this friday but I agree that schoeman offers more on attack and that he is the type of flyhalf we need for the type of backline that we have.
Hoekom bly hulle gelukkig as hulle nie speel kans kry nie.
Spartacus - with a weaker CC system I think rugby in SA is moving towards a tendency where Unions will not be able to contract 90 players any more. We will have to recruit a smaller squad and that's it. A guy like Duncan Mathews have been injured every season since 2013, but we keep him on the pay roll.
We will definitely see some guys go at the end of this year - especially in the back three department. We have already lost a host of centres. But threre are certain positions where we are not that strong - tight head, locks, eightmen, scrum halve and nr. 10. In those positions you have to develop the next guy in line to his ultimate best and rotate them regularly. The Stormers are doing it with there loose trio, the Cheetahs with their nr. 10's and front rows, and the Lions do some schuffeling every week.
Blue bull - Hopefully we are able to hold onto the players that we want to build a team with and not get stuck with players that won't bring anything to the team like the jurgen visser's, louis fouche's,etc.
Koekemoer en poepindieketel - Ons almal wil mos maar 'n huisie by die see he so ek dink dis makliker vir die sharks en stormers om spelers soontoe te lok ;)
Lekker aand verder manne en HOU BY DIE BLOU !
Dis onaanvaarbaar! AS ons vanjaar niks wen nie, moet daar verseker verandering plaasvind aan topbestuur! Ons kan nie meer net afrigting of spelers blameer nie!