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Double Bok boost for Bulls?

Brenden Nel

Johannesburg - The Blue Bulls may get a welcome boost this week in the return of Springboks Dewald Potgieter and Zane Kirchner to their squad.

Both players are part of a large Blue Bull contingent at the national training camp in Johannesburg, but with the squad likely to be cut from 29 to 24 for the Tri-Nations Test against the All Blacks in Soweto by Friday, coach Frans Ludeke could well have the two returning Boks in his team.

The Bok management was mum on Tuesday about who would possibly be available for the clash, but both Western Province and the Blue Bulls have indicated that if Springbok players are released, they would automatically get game time for the Newlands clash.

Kirchner’s return is of course dependent on the fitness test to Francois Steyn. The Racing Metro centre was forced off the field with an ankle complaint in a pre-season friendly in France last weekend and underwent a scan at 17:00 on Tuesday night.

The Boks were still desperately hoping for some positive news, and if it comes, it is likely that Steyn, and not Kirchner will be the last line of defence against the All Blacks. Even if Steyn is ruled out, the management may opt for a more adventurous proposal of playing Gio Aplon in a free-ranging role from the back.

Potgieter’s likely exit comes as Juan Smith returns to the side and the Boks contemplate the balance of the loose trio for the clash. Pierre Spies has not been in the best form of his life and there are suggestions that Schalk Burger may be considered at No 8 while Smith is considered a certainty in the team.

The only real question then is whether or not they need a ball carrier or a fetcher. Considering the damage that Richie McCaw and David Pocock did to the Bok reputations in Australasia, it would be suicidal not to have one in the team and thus Francois Louw comes back into the equation.

Potgieter, while a star of the future, may find it difficult, like Ryan Kankowski, to force his way into the 22-man squad for the clash.

Jaque Fourie is still under suspension and a decision needs to be taken whether to keep him in the squad of 24 or to release him to rest at home.

Bismarck du Plessis is fit and running again but the Boks are likely to keep three hookers in the squad of 24 as cover. There will also be no place for one of the props, as three tightheads – BJ Botha, CJ van der Linde and Jannie du Plessis and two looseheads – Beast Mtawarira and Gürthro Steenkamp vie for the open spots.

Van der Linde was the only tighthead training on day one of the camp on Tuesday, and his dual role on the bench could mean that Beast heads back to the Sharks this weekend.

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