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Pollard or Jantjies?

Johannesburg - It may be that time of the season when the Blue Bulls throw everything they have into winning the bottom of the log clash against Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday, and that decision starts with a choice at flyhalf between Handre Pollard and Tony Jantjies.

According to the supersport.com website, while Jantjies has swopped roles with Pollard this season, Pollard is now over his injury and ready to be selected again, and coach Pine Pienaar will have to make a clear choice between the two, and one which will determine just where the Bulls will finish this season.

Jantjies has been average to date, struggling to take the step up, while Pollard has also blown hot and cold all year, yet it could be that the SA under-20 utility back is set to take his place back as the Bulls look to lift themselves off the bottom of the Currie Cup log.

There is no more time left in the competition, and technically the Bulls can still make the semis. However, it will take a spark unlike anything they have produced this season to get them back into the running for the competition.

While some may blame Pienaar, to be honest any coach would have suffered given the player exodus’ this season and the blame for the poor Currie Cup showing must lay firmly at the door of those doing the contracting at the union.

Still, there are still a few rounds left and Pienaar will be doing his best to try and keep the team from sinking to the bottom and having possibly to play a promotion-relegation game against a dangerous Puma side.

Pienaar is likely to make a few changes from the team that lost to the Lions, with Jurgen Visser likely to come back into the side in the place of Clayton Blommetjies, while Marcel van der Merwe takes over from Morne Mellett, the latter whose season is over with a neck injury.

With Jean Cook and Bongi Mbonambi only back next week, the Bulls will have to make do with what they have up front.

But either way that Pienaar shuffles his side, they will have to be a lot better, and a lot more streetsmart than they have up to now. Kimberley has been a graveyard for visiting teams over the years and the young and inexperienced side are learning the Currie Cup battle the hard way.

The Bulls have nobody else to call on, and these players have to do their best in trying circumstances.

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