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Cape Town - The Blue Bulls are hesitant to put too much emphasis on the derby-aspect in their clash against Western Province at Newlands, and are determined not to let their emotions get the better of them.
The presence of two future Blue Bulls players in Western Province's backline could make for an intriguing midfield battle on Saturday.
Johann Sadie (centre) and JJ Engelbrecht (wing) have both signed contracts with the Blue Bulls for next season and will join the Pretoria-based outfit on 1 November this year.
It will be interesting to see how the Bulls' centre combination of Stefan Watermeyer and Stephan Dippenaar perform against players with whom they could be competing for spots in the first XV next year.
However, Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar has dismissed talks that their main focus is on Sadie and Engelbrecht.
He says it will definitely not distract his charges from the job at hand and dismissed it as mere sensation-seeking from the media.
"We are focusing only on things from our side this year. They (Sadie and Engelbrecht) are exceptional players, but they will only play for us next year. The guys currently playing in our midfield are quality players and it is up to them to make Saturday special, Pienaar told Pieter Jordaan from Beeld.
Bulls captain Gary Botha also says they won't get too involved in emotional sideshows that could distract them from the job at hand.
"This is just another Currie Cup season and it is just another match," said Botha.
Teams:
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Tim Whitehead, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nick Koster, 7. Siya Kolisi, 6. Rohan Kitshoff, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Hilton Lobberts, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie (captain), 1. Wicus Blaauw
Substitutes: 16. Tiaan Liebenberg, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Adriaan Fondse, 19. Nicholas Fenton-Wells, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Isma-eel Dollie, 22. Marcel Brache
Blue Bulls:
15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corné Fourie
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Warwick Tecklenburg, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter
The presence of two future Blue Bulls players in Western Province's backline could make for an intriguing midfield battle on Saturday.
Johann Sadie (centre) and JJ Engelbrecht (wing) have both signed contracts with the Blue Bulls for next season and will join the Pretoria-based outfit on 1 November this year.
It will be interesting to see how the Bulls' centre combination of Stefan Watermeyer and Stephan Dippenaar perform against players with whom they could be competing for spots in the first XV next year.
However, Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar has dismissed talks that their main focus is on Sadie and Engelbrecht.
He says it will definitely not distract his charges from the job at hand and dismissed it as mere sensation-seeking from the media.
"We are focusing only on things from our side this year. They (Sadie and Engelbrecht) are exceptional players, but they will only play for us next year. The guys currently playing in our midfield are quality players and it is up to them to make Saturday special, Pienaar told Pieter Jordaan from Beeld.
Bulls captain Gary Botha also says they won't get too involved in emotional sideshows that could distract them from the job at hand.
"This is just another Currie Cup season and it is just another match," said Botha.
Teams:
Western Province:
15. Conrad Jantjes, 14. Danie Poolman, 13. Johann Sadie, 12. Tim Whitehead, 11. JJ Engelbrecht, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nick Koster, 7. Siya Kolisi, 6. Rohan Kitshoff, 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Hilton Lobberts, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Deon Fourie (captain), 1. Wicus Blaauw
Substitutes: 16. Tiaan Liebenberg, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. Adriaan Fondse, 19. Nicholas Fenton-Wells, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Isma-eel Dollie, 22. Marcel Brache
Blue Bulls:
15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Gerhard van den Heever, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (captain), 1 Corné Fourie
Substitutes: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Warwick Tecklenburg, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter
