The coach of the Vodacom Bulls, Frans Ludeke, has named a vastly experienced Super 14 group that includes Springboks such as Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Fourie du Preez, Bakkies Botha, Danie Rossouw and Pierre Spies.
The Bulls website reports that Matfield is one of six players who have represented the Bulls in 65 or more Super Rugby matches with Du Preez, Botha, Rossouw, JP Nel and Pedrie Wannenburg the others, whilst Habana and Akona Ndungane are only one match shy of 50 caps.
The reliable fullback Tiger Mangweni, the new recruit Jaco Pretorius and the Namibian Jacques Burger are the only players in the squad who haven’t played Super 14 rugby for the Bulls, but Mangweni represented the Stormers was well as the Cheetahs in previous years, while Pretorius played quite a number of matches for the Lions.
The youngsters in the squad who have already played Super 14 rugby are Francois Hougaard, Burton Francis, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Werner Kruger, Bandise Maku, Stephan Dippenaar and Dean Greyling while the likes of Francois Brummer, Frik Kirsten, Okkie Kruger, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Stefan Watermeyer and Gerhard van den Heever will be keen to make their debut in 2009.
A standout feature of 2009’s squad is the versatility of the players with Habana, Spies, Rossouw, Wannenburg, Potgieter, Burger, Kruger, Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Marius Delport and Morné Steyn being able to play in more than one position. This flexibility is a massive asset and it surely will play a huge role especially when the team is touring Australasia.
Vodacom Bulls Super 14 squad:
Fullbacks: Zane Kirchner, Tiger Mangweni
Wings: Bryan Habana, Akona Ndungane, John Mametsa, Gerhard van der Heever
Centres: Wynand Olivier, JP Nel, Jaco Pretorius, Wayne Julies, Marius Delport, Stephan Dippenaar, Stefan Watermeyer
Flyhalves: Morné Steyn, Burton Francis, Francois Brummer
Scrumhalves: Fourie du Preez, Heini Adams, Francois Hougaard
Loose forwards: Pierre Spies, Deon Stegmann, Pedrie Wannenburg, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques Burger, Dries van Schalkwyk, Okkie Kruger, Gerrit-Jan van Velze
Locks: Victor Matfield (captain), Danie Rossouw, Bakkies Botha, Wilhelm Steenkamp,
Props: Gurthrö Steenkamp, Rayno Gerber, Werner Kruger, Jaco Engels, Dean Greyling, Ruan Vermeulen, Frik Kirsten
Hookers: Derick Kuün, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Bandise Maku.
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I look at this squad and I think it has some reasonable depth.
That then raises two questions for me.
1) If it has the depth then why did they get thumped in every warm-up match they played?
2) If it has the depth then why was Ludeke not able to field decent combinations and still only play his frontline guys in one match.
oh. The obvious question for me is howcome it contains players not named in the official 30-man squad
@robdylan (Comment 2) :
Seems those squads are cast in Jello.
How was THAT final?
41 Players in their squad 😯 and 30 in the SARU announced squad.
@PJLD (Comment 4) :
I dunno. Just please tell me England beat the Kiwis and we are still at the top of the table.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) :
Oh YES they did!!!!!!!!!! 😎 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) :u didnt get to see it? 😯
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) :
Yes they did, 19-17 after being 17-0 behind
mornings walter
@PJLD (Comment 8) :
I’m at work dude. 😥
@walter van transvaal.co.za (Comment 9) :
😯 AWESOME!!!!!!!!!
IRB 7s standings after 3 rounds
South Africa 48
England 44
New Zealand 44
Argentina 28
Fiji 28
Kenya 18
Samoa 12
Portugal 8
USA 8
Wales 6
Australia 4
Cook Islands 2
France 2
Arabian Gulf 0
Canada 0
Russia 0
Scotland 0
Tonga 0
Tunisia 0
Uganda 0
wel this also says that the sharks thumped a s14 squad, because more than half of these guys played in the warm up
@PJLD (Comment 10) :
Good morning!
We won 2 Sevens tournaments and yet we only lead by 4 points. How is that possible???
@wpw (Comment 15) :
In the Cup
You get 20 for a win
16 as a Losing Finalist
12 as a Losing Semi Finalist
Then in the Plate (where we ended up this week)
You get 8 as the winner
and 6 as the Losing Finalist.
SA Have
Dubai, 20
George, 20
Wellington, 8
NZ have
Dubai, 12
George, 16
Wellington, 16
England have
Dubai, 16
George, 8
Wellington, 20
so losing in the quarter finals is not a great idea
@robdylan (Comment 17) :
not at all.
Habana buys in Dubai
Dubbed the fastest man in the world of rugby, Bryan Gary Habana’s legendary speed has earned him some of the sport’s highest praise. The South African first donned the rugby kit for the Blue Bulls, before his explosive pace was spotted by the Springboks, where his eight tries during the 2007 Rugby World Cup not only earned the team the trophy, but also saw him take home the IRB Player of the Year.
Habana is one of the hottest young players on the world rugby circuit and now he can also place is name as an ambassador on The First Team as a property owner with The First Group.
On a recent visit to Dubai, the legendary rugby star set his sights on Metro Central – a stunning collection of fully serviced hotel apartments in the heart of ‘New Dubai.’ Thanks to Metro Central’s full rental management programme, owners like Habana can sit back, relax, and enjoy the lucrative returns of Dubai’s buzzing hotel industry.