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The Blue Bulls have named their side to play the Sharks at Loftus on Saturday.
The team includes Springboks Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier and Dewald Potgieter. However, Neither Gary Botha nor Deon Stegmann were fit enough to play. In a late change, Werner Kruger failed a late fitness test and is replaced in the starting lineup by Frik Kirsten with Rossouw de Klerk coming on to the bench.
The Bulls team is as follows:
1. Dean Greyling
2. Bandise Maku
3. Frik Kirsten
4. Juandre Kruger
5. Fudge Mabeta
6. Derick Kuun (captain)
7. Dewald Potgieter
8. Gerrit-jan van Velze
9. Ruan Snyman
10. Jacques-louis Potgieter
11. Jaco van der Westhuyzen
12. Wynand Olivier
13. Jaco Pretorius
14. Gerhard van den Heever
15. Zane Kirchner
Replacements:
16. Henry Bantjes
17. Rossouw de Klerk
18. Jaco Engels
19. Wilhelm Steenkamp
20. CJ Stander
21. Dustin Jinka
22. Stefan Watermeyer
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happy with that
nothing much on the bench. looks very beatable.
They are obviously expecting a big match upfront with their 5-2 split on the bench
I know it’s silly to think of it this way – matches aren’t won on paper after all – but a head-to-head comparison of each player from each position to his opposite number is something I tend to do when the teams are announced. And after looking at that, the only positions where the Sharks don’t come out on top (in my black-and-white mind anyway) are 3 and 12, solely by virtue of greater experience. Bulls at Loftus? Should be a cakewalk
This looks like a weak Bulls team, they only have one specialist wing in the 22!! Bulls will up for this game though
Keen to see Potgieter v Alberts and Kirchner v Ludik.
I can see the Bulls taking this one! Especially since Timotei is at 12. Lambie will be knocked back all day I’m afraid!!
@war1 (Comment 5) : quite relieved to see no sign of Gary Botha or Deon Stegmann
@robdylan (Comment 8) : yeah, and mametsa too
Jaco van der Westhuizen is going to come under a lot of pressure..
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
They can still pull a Sharks on us and run on with a complete different team..”due to late injuries at the Captain’s practise”..
@robdylan (Comment 8) : Or Bees Roux…
@Ice (Comment 11) : somehow that doesn’t seem like the bulls style does it?
@war1 (Comment 13) :
They dont have any style…full stop!@
@MerckZ (Comment 12) : I’m choosing to ignore that one
@MerckZ (Comment 12) : Nice!
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@Ice (Comment 14) : and i thought i hated the bulls . . .
@klempie (Comment 17) : lost for words again.
@war1 (Comment 18) : think again!
@try time (Comment 19) : Post-edited after I posted to the wrong thread. :p
@MerckZ (Comment 4) : yip. it almost feels bit arrogant but it really does not look like a team to fear.
I believe the Sharks should take this one without to much strain. It will be a close one though.
@Jarson (Comment 23) : didnt you just contradict yourself?
@war1 (Comment 24) : On purpose yes
Don’t want to jinx it 
we all know the bulls will be hurting after there shock loss to the Pumas, but i doubt that they will have the ability to beat the sharks team, who are in great form at the moment. with JvdW on the wing, Mvovo, if picked, will have a field day running over him again hopefully. we deffo will have more impact players coming of the bench and i say that boldly before the team has been announced
sharks to win this by a few points i recon!
i think it’ll b quite close coz of the Bulls desparately needing a win and the Loftus factor (they will pick themselves up is what i mean) yet I think we will take it.
@MerckZ (Comment 6) :
JL Potgieter v Pat Lambie is the match up I’m most looking forward to.
Who will Plum prefer next year though? If i were him i’d go for Potgieter in the beginning (experience) and maybe shift Lambie to Inside Center or even back to fullback. there is also the option to play him off the bench?
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 29) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : sorry the last comment was aimed at comment 28!
@The Sharks Sharkie (Comment 29) :
Potgieter isn’t even the #1 choice at the Bulls and when we were in a flyhalf crisis I would have been happy to play him at 10.
That crisis however is gone and now we only have a small depth concern at 10.
Strangely Lambie played more S14 rugby than JLP in 2010 albeit at 15 and not 10. Let us not stop the great momentum we have with Lambie and move him elsewhere for the S14.
it is going to be VERY interesting to see who PdV takes on the EOYT as flyhalves IF he does rest Steyn and James.
10-JLP
11-Mvovo
12-Lambie
13-Adi
14-JPP
15-Ludik
Now THAT is a potent backline!!
@wpw (Comment 32) :
Would be even more potent with Lambie and JLP switching positions.
With any 2 or 3 of Bosman, Hoffman, Kockott, Swanepoel, Terblanche & Ndungane on the bench
On another note, can someone plse tell me why ther Bulls rate Derrick Kuun so much??
He should never have been made captain and the fact that he played hooker ahead of Chilli is just ridiculous!
@wpw (Comment 34) :
No idea, I just hope he gets a few “The Bus is fulls” on the weekend.
With Kirchner at 15 he will be The Sharks secret weapon..
Bulls loosies lack a bruiser. Tight 5 also too soft. I doubt they will win much ball. Definitely not gonna win the gain-line battle.
Jaco at 11 is a joke. I love this Bulls selection policy!
Isnt Terblanche retiring after the CC? Or did he change his mind again?
Late change Werner Kruger failed a late fitness test with Frik Kirsten replacing him at tighthead.