Blue Bulls hooker Gary Botha has been named captain for the compulsory friendly against the EP Elephants in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The Bulls have been hard hit, with no fewer than 11 players unavailable due to Springbok call-ups. Botha and Werner Kruger are all that remains of their first-choice tight five, although in Jaco Engels, Fudge Mabetha and Wilhelm Steenkamp they have reserves with plenty of Currie Cup experience to call on. Lock Juandre Kruger, who has spent the last two years playing for Northampton in the Guiness Premiership, will make his return off the bench.
Jacques-Louis Potgieter and Jaco van der Westhuyzen are at flyhalf and fullback respectively and will add much-needed experience to an otherwise young backline.
Bulls team: Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Vainon Willis, Stephan Dippenaar, Stefan Watermeyer, Hayden Groepes, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Ruan Snyman, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Derick KuΓΌn, Okkie Kruger, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Fudge Mabeta, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha (capt), Jaco Engels. Replacements: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, JeandrΓ© Kruger, CJ Stander, Danie Faasen, Francois Brummer, Clayton Blommetjies.

Dammit man!! Will the Bulls ever run out of promising players coming thru the ranks!!
π
CJ Stander looks a very good prospect. One of the few SA U20 players who shined at the recent Junior World Championships!!
@wpw (Comment 2) : what? Bollocks, no he didn’t. He is too small to make an impact at number 8.
I was far more impressed by Lubabalo Mthembu, who made things happen every time he touched the ball. Pity he couldn’t ever get a start because the useless Bull skipper was hogging the number 8 jersey.
Go EP
@wpw (Comment 1) : You’ve now also joined my ‘people banned from my neck of the sharksworld.com woods’, I think you and Rob will be begging me to allow you back to the dark side (as in TRUE black and white) from exile…..that’s what happens when you’ve got anything good to say about the Nulle. π
Nah Rob. From what I saw he was pretty decent. Did you watch the game against the Aussies?? He was probably our best forward!!
FTL
As much as I dislike the Bulls I try to be as objective as I can.
Nothing wrong with praising the Bulls or their players!!
Hell there’s even a few decent Bulls fans out there, diablo being one.
@wpw (Comment 7) : That’s it! You’ve now been banished to the dungeon. Oh no my friend, save the tears for your prison mate, you should have thought of that before you allowed your closet Nul to get out. π π
@wpw (Comment 6) : Against the Aussies, the term “one of our best forwards” is utterly meaningless, cos they were all shyte π
That said, Mthembu did more in his 5 minutes on the field at the end than Stander did all game.
Gary Botha, future Bok captain.
So Jaco the Baptist is back. Presumably finished converting the all the little pagan happy boys in Japan then.
@Big Fish (Comment 10) : Now that’s crossing the line! Seriously uncalled for.
But he has all the requirements to be a great captain, and he has always been a better hooker then Barney.
@Big Fish (Comment 12) : I am referring to part 2 of your comment.
Well, I disagree with you.
@Big Fish (Comment 14) : If comments of that nature is the accepted standard on this site then I think it’s time for me to move on.
Free will is a distinctly human capacity: exercise it as you will.
Of course there is no need to launch into a soliloquy each time, but to each their own.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 15) : I think you may have taken that out of context… I know Fish and it was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.
We can discuss this via email if you like.
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Rob, most political comments are also said tongue in cheek, yet it receives a stern warning from you without fail.
I take it that the afore mentioned comment is then the accepted standard here, which means I’ll refrain from any further participation in Sharksworld.
No, I wouldn’t go so far as to say anything about that being the ‘accepted standard’, but you must do as your conscience dictates.
Soooo… back to rugby then π³
where’s Stegman in the Bulls team? Is he injured?
@CS (Comment 20) : π π
Steggo is apparently injured but should be back in time for the first game. Ditto Pretorius and vd Heever.
@wpw (Comment 7) : You obejctive π π π π
objective π³
Geez! But there’s actually a full squad of injured players…. Amakrokko Krokko is a reality now. Get well soon guys, like in before next Friday π
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 24) :
SHURRUPPP!!! π π
Hey, I’m able to get on the site again, I’ve got catching up to do.
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 28) : ?? Were u lost?? Or blocked?
@robdylan (Comment 23) : @robdylan (Comment 23) : Thanks… and Flip vd Merwe?
@Ice (Comment 29) : The site has been super slow the past couple of days, pages would time out. Today it seems to be working no problems.
[email protected] Lostfish: Ahh, ok…
@Ice (Comment 29) : I think the plot to rid the site of WP people got under way
@lostfish (Comment 31) : I was getting time-outs more often than not π It seems to be good again π
Sorry guys… We’ve had some mystery problems on the server the last few days. Glad it’s all under control again.
Flip will also be back in action for the Currie Cup, I’m sure. Bloody bulls.
@robdylan (Comment 35) : I did not experience any problems from my mobile device..?
Come On Elephants !!!! π‘
Bulls enjoy while you can Sharks arn’t going to have another 2009
we will be waiting
@Ice (Comment 36) : well it took me like 2 hrs to get on and then so slow and just left it until 2 day and sie daar alles is no reg π
@chaz (Comment 38) : :Go die Blou! π π