Frans Ludeke has been able to include Bok Flip van der Merwe in his 27-man tour squad that departed for New Zealand yesterday.
Van der Merwe has missed out on the last two games due to a hamstring complaint, but should be fit to face the Hurricanes this weekend.
According to Brenden Nel and Supersport, though, Victor Matfield will not be a part of the official playing staff on this tour. The big lock, who only last week captained the side against the Chiefs, will not play on tour as part of the originally agreed management program but will still make the trip as lineout and attack coach. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the Bulls are using this as a cunning way to slip an extra player into their tour party, while having a ready-made substitute available should injury strike.
In addition to the 23 who played against the Chiefs (with van der Merwe taking Matfield’s spot), the Bulls have added four further players to the tour squad: hooker Bandise Maku, loose forward Vleis Engelbrecht, scrumhalf Rudy Paige and centre William Small-Smith.
Touring squad: Jurgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, Bjorn Basson, William Small-Smith, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Ulrich Beyers, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Handre Pollard, Francois Hougaard, Rudy Paige, Piet van Zyl, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Jono Ross, Jacques Engelbrecht, Flip van der Merwe, Paul Willemse, Grant Hattingh, Werner Kruger, Dean Greyling, Morne Mellett, Marcel van der Merwe, Bandise Maku , Bongi Mbonambi, Callie Visagie.
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Rob, are the Bulls even allowed to do that? One would think that SANZAR would have certain regulations in place that prevents any of the coaching staff to play on the field? Or is it basically free for all; coaches, medics, bus drivers, anyone can play if you are selected?
So they could only make use of Matfield should injury strike? Risky move in my opinion. He really galvanises the Bulls when he’s on the field.
@Sharkszen (Comment 1) : Not to different to when Reds who use their injured players as ‘water boys’ :P.
canes by plenty
Away from Loftus,no influence over the Ref,let’s see the fun and games on the away tour
Bulls team for their Hurricanes clash:
Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ
Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10
Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Jacques
Engelbrecht, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Flip
van der Merwe (c), 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2
Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Marcel van der
Merwe, 18 Morné Mellett, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Jacques du
Plessis, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Ulrich
Beyers.
@Seth101 (Comment 3) : 😆 of course yes! Will be interesting to see them play on the road, but without vic, without loftus.. going to be tough times ahead.
@vanmartin (Comment 2) : If the wheels come off during the tour, a player will suddenly get a training ground injury allowing Matfield to become part of the squad.
Marcel v/d Merwe is not named in that touring squad when he is clearly on tour and on the bench this Sat
@Saffex (Comment 9) : not sure if your problem is blindness, or just sheer stupidity…
Jurgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, Bjorn Basson, William Small-Smith, JJ Engelbrecht, Jan Serfontein, Ulrich Beyers, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Handre Pollard, Francois Hougaard, Rudy Paige, Piet van Zyl, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques du Plessis, Deon Stegmann, Jono Ross, Jacques Engelbrecht, Flip van der Merwe, Paul Willemse, Grant Hattingh, Werner Kruger, Dean Greyling, Morne Mellett, Marcel van der Merwe, Bandise Maku , Bongi Mbonambi, Callie Visagie.
Strange call by the Bulls to have Vic tour as coach and not a player. Surely a player of his stature would have been worth gold on tour leading youngsters on the field.
@robdylan (Comment 10) : bit harsh there Rob… 😯
@FireTheLooser (Comment 12) :
Hou jou bek!
@Big Fish (Comment 13) : I dislike saffex as much as the next guy, but everyone should be allowed to make at least one stupid mistake/comment per week….besides, without saffex, who’ll be responsible for upsetting the sharksworld harmony?