The Bulls have named an understrength team to face the Kings in Port Elizabeth this Saturday, with captain Wilhelm Steenkamp, an off-season acquisition from the Cheetahs, one of the few experienced men in the line-up.
Steenkamp has enjoyed something of a nomadic existence the past few years as frustration with living in Victor Matfield’s shadow prompted him to seek greener pastures. Despite making a name as a junior at the Bulls, he went on to represent first the Sharks (temporarily) and then the Cheetahs before finally returning to Pretoria at the end of last year. He is joined by two former Lions stalwarts, hooker Willie Wepener and scrumhalf Jano Vermaark, in a starting lineup that comprises mostly Bulls age-group players.
Another off-season recruit, former Province flyhalf Lionel Cronje, will make his Bulls debut at inside centre, with former team mate JJ Engelbrecht in his favourite number 11 jersey. Louis Fouche, who staked a claim as backup flyhalf during a solid Currie Cup campaign, wears the number 10 jersey, while the pack contains a few names that gained some experience last year as well. Look out for the highly-rated Arno Botha at blindside flank as well as Baby Bok Jean Cook, who has made his way to the Bulls via the Cheetahs youth program.
Former Sharks utility forward Daniel Adonga has been named on the bench.
Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Ulrich Beyers, 12 Lionel Cronje, 11 JJ Engelbrecht, 10 Louis Fouche, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Jean Cook, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp (captain), 4 Gerrit-Jan van Vlze, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Willie Wepener,1 Dawie Steyn.
Substitutes: 16 Bongani Mbonambi, 17 Louis Alberts, 18 Daniel Adonga, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Cornell Hess, 21 Ruan Snyman, 22 Francois Venter/ Courtnall Skosan, 23 Adri Jacobs, 24 Clayton Blommetjies.
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This could be an interesting clash with an incentive for a few very promising Bulls youngsters hoping to impress.
Nice to see Frik Kirsten resurfacing.
Off course the must watch player has to be Arno Botha with Dawie Steyn drawing some interest as well.
Lionel Cronje at 12. Might work but I won’t put money on it. Some of these temperamental youngsters are at their best when they don’t have time on the ball to think their way into trouble.
It’s nice to see that Frans Ludeke has given the youngsters a chance to impress him on saturday.
Without a doubt it’s a very exciting backline i expect Vermaak to have a big game at 9.
Fouche is underrated he has a groot boot BUT he takes the ball flat and he is solid on defence.
Cronje is an experiement at inside centre we know what we have in Venter….Olivier is still injured is vital Lionel gets the backline moving he has good distribution he will rotate with Fouche at 10.
J-J in my honest opinion will wear the 11 jersey Ndugane is battling with an injury.
I hope Sampie Mastriet has worked hard on that shaky defence.
He is a busy player at wing one expects he has bulked up in preseason.
That loose trio is packed with talanted players who have big futures ahead…Cook is tall,physical,solid,quick and abit of a loose canon and he offers us grunt we lacked last year.
CJ Stander is back up for Pierre Spies he had a great currie cup season last year.
Arno Botha will fit in nicely at blindside flank he is without the best junior bulls flank in our system he has the power,size and pace something dewaldt potgieter lacks.
The front row is settled Dawie Steyn is a monster,wepener looked overweight last year not bad back up for chilliboy.Kirsten is done with his studies now he can focus on his rugby.
This is so funny a scriptwriter couldn’t do it any better.
The Kings say we will play our top guys against the Sharks, Stormers and Bulls and save our B side against the Lions and Cheetahs.
The Bulls say we’ll play our B side against your top guys.
I wonder what the Sharks will do?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 3) : I’m just waiting to see this thread hit 100 comments (90 of them by Muzi) before lunch 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 4) : 😆 I saw that heading and thought “at least the junior Rugby guys have been given their daily thread” 😉
@Muzi (Comment 2) : I was surprised you weren’t the 1st to comment, but then when I saw the length of your post I understood that you WERE the 1st to start typing though. 😛
Arno Botha,pity Rob can’t see him. Though I believe he should be at 8thman,but it’s understandable with another classy youngster in CJ Stander at 8thman. Lionel at 12,I don’t know,we’ll see
Honestly speaking i am not over optimistic this year…we are rebuilding a new team and like Meyer predicted we will only hit our straps in 2013.
If we finish 7th or 6th this year it will be a good effort.Losing Meyer is abit of a step back for the Bulls.
I for one hope these new recruits and players like sadie and j-j put in a few man of the match performances.
Pierre Spies and the rest of the senior players HAVE to set the standard take responsibility on the field it starts with the forwards if they can perform well the youngsters will diliver the goods.
Old Vic,Bakkies,Du Preez are history we are in for long long Super 15 this year.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) : It took me 5 minutes
@robdylan (Comment 4) : haha funny guy hey
@Ludz (Comment 7) : Arno Botha se dinges… Plank Meyer is the future!
@robdylan (Comment 11) : STOP IT! Ur going to cause Ludz to have serious loyalty issues.
@beet (Comment 12) : hur hur hur
@Muzi (Comment 2) : HAYI BO muzi, not even a mention of your boy Courtnall Skosan 😆
i’m going to this game, i want to see all these okes muesli waxes lyrical about.
@Megatron (Comment 14) : muesli. Bwhahahaha 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 15) : Courtnall Skosaan…. Bwaahaahaa
@robdylan (Comment 11) : @beet (Comment 12) : hahaha. Definitely gonna go with Arno on this one. Loyalty to my Bulls this time
This is mostly the Bulls Currie Cup team. The Kings don’t stand a chance. If the Bulls come out guns blazing, I expect a 20+ victory for the Bulls
Given the talent in the loose forwards at the Bulls, if Spies doesn’t start to constantly perform, in 2/3 years he’ll be on the bench
The Bulls do have some talented youngsters and most do have Currie Cup experience and will pay dividends in SR
@Mutley (Comment 18) : yup! the Kings are buggered. i’m going to the game just to be in awe of the Bulls talent 🙂
@Ludz (Comment 17) : but you live in the Eastern Cape?
@robdylan (Comment 22) : you reckon Ludz started supporting the Bulls around the same time Muzi jumped ship from the Lions? 😎
@Megatron (Comment 21) : 😆 😆
@Megatron (Comment 23) : sounds like it, yup. That’s one thing I respect about you, meggo… At least you’re true to your roots.
@Megatron (Comment 23) : @robdylan (Comment 22) : Meg been a Bull ever since I can remember watching rugby. Just loved that tall recently retired lock and Derick Hougaard. Rob,Eastern Cape resident yep,Meyer a former classmate is a classy player though,but love watching Arno,similiar players though
@robdylan (Comment 25) : Eek! Lots of Sharks supporters aren’t from KZN
@Ludz (Comment 26) : just joshing Ludz
@beet (Comment 27) : glory hunters!
wel i don’t know how how much “glory” the sharks have provided 🙄 maybe they’re just victims of the shatks marketing dept 😆
@robdylan (Comment 25) :
I live in PTA .. no way im bending THAT way … 😯