Currie Cup
Bulls hope for Newlands upset
2011-10-13 16:00
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Johannesburg - The Blue Bulls’ blood will be both blue and grey (the traditional colours of the Pumas) this weekend as their fate in the Currie Cup could be decided in the match between the Pumas and Western Province.
However, the Pretoria-based side first need to bag a bonus-point victory over the Leopards in Pretoria on Friday.
The Bulls, one of the most successful teams in the Currie Cup, are in fifth place on the log and need to take five points out of their match against the Leopards, and then hope the Pumas keep Province from winning and scoring four tries on Saturday.
Bulls coach Pine Pienaar earlier in the week said they had resigned themselves to the fact that their fate was not in their own hands.
"The principle would be that you still need to work hard to establish positive possession, to play in the right areas, to keep the ball in hand and not to concede turnovers," said Pienaar.
"If you are playing well and look after the ball and your first phase possession is good enough, then I believe things will fall in place. We will definitely not go out and change our style of play because we might have to chase a big points difference against the Leopards."
Pienaar said their loss against Griquas last weekend was disappointing, as they had done well to get back in the competition after they were in eighth position on the log earlier in their campaign.
"The players got themselves out of that hole and really got back into the competition," said Pienaar.
"It is important that our focus against the Leopards, our last game at Loftus, would be that we do it for each other and be remembered for that.
"Of course it would be unacceptable that we don’t make the semis but I think with it being Gary’s [Botha, Bulls captain] last game, if it is our last match, that we finish it as one that we will remember."
Judging from their first round encounter, the Leopards will not be a pushover as the Bulls stuttered to a 28-20 victory in Rustenburg in August.
The North West team have only one win to their name in this year’s Currie Cup and will look to finish their last match in the top flight on a high note.
The Leopards are fresh off a 41-14 defeat by the Sharks last Saturday and would like to make amends against the Bulls.
Teams:
Blue Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouch, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Dustin Jinka, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Jurgen Visser
Leopards:
15 Hofmann Maritz, 14 Danie Dames, 13 Charl Weideman, 12 Joubert Engelbrecht (captain), 11 Wynand Willis, 10 Wesley Dunlop, 9 Johann Laker, 8 Robert Kruger, 7 MB Lusaseni, 6 Philip de Wet, 5 Brendon Snyman, 4 Brad Mockford, 3 Dewald Coetzee, 2 Gavin Williamson, 1 Jean-Jacques Rossouw
Substitutes: 16 Marius Fourie, 17 Bush Mxunyelwa, 18 Brend Botha, 19 Spanner Pretorius, 20 George Tossel, 21 Clayton Durand, 22 Jovan Bowles