The Bulls have made full use of their returning Springboks in selecting seven of the eight returnees to face the Lions on Saturday. The only player not to take part this weekend, as reported earlier, is Wynand Olivier, who is nursing a shoulder injury.
Chiliboy Ralapelle, the Springbok that made the biggest impact from the bench in the two Tri Nations games, takes the number two jumper from Captain Gary Botha, and the team will be led by Dewald Potgieter.
The Bulls have named a full Springbok frontrow with Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling also returning straight to the starting line-up, with lock Flip van der Merwe bolstering the second row, and the back three receiving a boost with Bjorn Basson and Zane Kirchner slotting in. Deon Stegmann will make some form of impact from the bench.
Blue Bulls team: Zane Kirchner, Akona Ndungane, Stefan Watermeyer, Francois Venter, Bjorn Basson, Francois Brummer, Dustin Jinka, CJ Stander, Dewald Potgieter (captain), Derick Kuun, Juandre Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling.
Replacements: Gary Botha, Rossouw de Klerk, Fudge Mabeta, Deon Stegmann, Lohan Jacobs, Marntiz Boshoff, Stephan Dippenaar.
For a new coach to drop his captain, he is a pretty brave man, Pine. Very commendable. Love the look of the loosies for this game. I feel they finally got it right with Stander instead of van Velze.
Pine is getting there. Basically, if the Boks did not return, Van Velze and Dippenaar rightfully got the axe and Gary will now know he needs to up his game, else Wepener will pass him too.
With Chilly the only player (of this group) to go to the WC (hopefully only him), I think this bunch can restore the Bulls’ name in the cc.
But lets wait how they deal with a Lion side who feel they “owe” the Bulls one after the Vermaak-issue, and who also only played the tradional “smaller” (no offense)unions so far. After this weekend, the Bulls will have only 3 the “smaller” unions to playto end round 1.
PS – Kudus on the Sharks management and coaches for not needing to play their Springbok returnees. Excellent planning for the cc. Hope, for your sakes it carries over to the S15 next year as well.
Pine Pienaar is the head coach BUT in my humble opinion one can see Heyneke Meyer is calling the shots.
Van Velze was dropped because he is not up to standard and Meyer knows that.
CJ Stander should have started a long time ago he offers much more than van velze.
Jinka is simply not good enough for bulls rugby he should go back to cape town and join wp again it’s a pity ruan snyman is injured.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 1) : I agree on the Plum comment! lets hope the boytjies can carry on the momentum built thus far!
Bulls surely will be a serious force to be reckoned with this weekend…I dunno if the Lions “injured’or not will beat this team.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 1) : Van Velze is lucky to be in the bulls set up he is a vodacom cup captain at best.He is a poor mans AJ Venter yes without a doubt he gives 100% but he has no power..speed…nothing.
Heyneke Meyer rates CJ Stander who is a number 8 the bulls have been shifting stander all over the park Meyer wants him at 8 that is where he belongs i rate the kid its time we give him a full currie cup season at 8.
I’m very happy for francois venter he is class.Pine And Meyer have big plans for venter i think he will eventually take over from olivier
and partner sadie 
.Watermeyer without a doubt is good but venter is the one seen as a future bok by meyer.I’ve heard those two VIP centres Dries Swanepoel and Jan Serfontein will be promoted to vodacom cup rugby by Pine next year.
Just had a quick look at the bulls under 21′s that rudi van rooyen at 9 is very talented he is already making the step up quickly the powers up there have compared him to a young joost.
It’s very interesting to note Ulrich Beyers is at outside centre and that the bulls craven week under 18 8thman roelof smit is already playing under 21 rugby.
@Muzi (Comment 4) : He had a shocker last year in the CC, that’s why I found it surprising with guys like Stander and the (now) injured Okkie Kruger, that he got picked above them.
I guess the Bulls got spoiled with choice over the years at scrumhalf as Hougie was back up for Fourie duP, who was back up for Joost and before Hougie, Heinie Adams was there. Always good back up, until Jinka. Agree 100% on him. That’s why Vermaak’s signing is a good continuation of the trend.
@Muzi (Comment 5) : I heard quite a lot of good things about Venter, so I’m excited to see what he can do this weekend. Next year will see 4 centres competing for S15 places, very healthy indeed. That is excluding Pretorius and Dippenaar whom I don’t rate that high. Neither offering much in the backline.
@Muzi (Comment 5) : Muzi, Rob shares your enthusiasm for Venter too
@Blue Centurion (Comment 1) : And Kudus to you too kind sir!
@Blue Centurion (Comment 7) :
Frans Ludeke has been choosing players based on reputation.We saw how we struggled last year in the currie cup.I mean to make matters worse we lost against pumas for goodness sake.
Everything is about to change under Meyer and Pine who have identified those who will not make the step up.
Forget ockie kruger there is a a player by the name of marnus schoeman is is that blonde stocky fetcher who was out star loose forward in the vodacom cup.He is brilliant he will rattle a few feathers.He is in my honest opinion steggmans successor.
Bulls supporters should look forward to the future kuun is leaving.We have signed another loose forward from the kings jacques potgieter who is apparently danie rossouws replacement exciting times ahead my friend.
@Villie (Comment 9) : Rob kinda makes me
about venter apparently everybody says venter is a crash ball player i am not even going to debate about venter i saw him the IRB under 20 world cup he is class even at grey college he was the best backline player there.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 8) :
We have cover at scrumhalf now with hougaard and vermaak on board we have two young scrummies in the set up.
Rudi and Lohan are not bad but rudi is the business lohan has regressed abit.
Jinka…Dippernaar…van velze…are not good enough i’m afraid!
@Muzi (Comment 11) : When news first broke about Danie’s leaving, I thought – man, we’ll struggle to replace him – of all the players leaving, he will leave the biggest hole. But this morning when I read this Potgieter can play lock and loose forward, I thought – I think I might be proven wrong. They sure know how to fill voids with good, yet not extravagent signings.
A bit different from last year which saw only Bjorn Basson as the only BIG signing for the S15.
@ Blue centurion thank you for your good wishes and all the best to your team too!
@Blue Centurion (Comment 14) :
we have money to spend on a few more players!
This just confirms that victor..bakkies..du preez and the rest of the senior boks were on high wages
beginning of the end for Dippenaar?
@robdylan (Comment 17) : If Venter impresses this cc, with Wynand coming back from injury and Sadie coming next year, Dippenaar will play Vodacom cup until he retires or go overseas. I think the same will apply to Pretorius as you don’t need more than 4 good (relative) centres.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 18) :
Jaco Pretorius has never striked me as a good centre for you guys? I can never see the point of selecting him, to be honest..
Glad to see the youngsters are getting a run!
Lions will take this.
@Blue Centurion (Comment 1) : I agree. I really want to see CJ Stander at 8.
The bulls
@Muzi (Comment 12) : One of the main reasons Venter is rated 1D is coz you’ve been so outspoken about it. Not just this year, last year as well.
But we can agree that he was a fine player at Grey Bloem. Hopefully we’ll get to see more of that ballplayer again and get to appreciate him for his allround ability. But I fear that the Bulls are looking for a centre with blinkers on.