Share

Bulls keep Matfield on ice

Pretoria - Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named two strong teams to take on the Golden Lions' Vodacom Cup side and the Stormers at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.

WIN: A legendary rugby experience!

The coach included recent recruits - Piet van Zyl (Cheetahs) and Jacques-Louis Potgieter (France) - in the team that will face the Lions in the early match of the day, but made it clear that not much must be read into his selections for these two warm-up matches.

Former Springbok lock Victor Matfield, who was due to make his return on Saturday, was not included in either of the two squads named.

No mention was made as to why he was omitted.

"To have almost everyone fit and able ahead of our first match is great and we need to thank our medical staff for that. It does give the coaching staff the luxury of trying different combinations and that is exactly what we will be looking for in Polokwane," Ludeke said.

“I would like to see both teams playing to our patterns, as this will make it easier to decide which players will suit our style best ahead of the season opener next month. To be successful in Super Rugby, you need a squad though, so I will be looking at both matches with equal interest," the coach said.

“The players understand the squad principle and all is keen to contribute towards achieving our goal of winning the 2014 tournament.”

Coach Frans Ludeke, who grew up in Polokwane, had a luxury of a fit squad and bar prop Morné Mellett, could name particular combinations for the matches against the Stormers and the Golden Lions Vodacom Cup teams.

He is also pleased to be back in his old stomping ground.

"We appreciate the effort of everyone involved in bringing the game to Polokwane, as we try to bring the team to our fans where possible. One can expect early season jitters, but hopefully we can give the spectators good value for their money.”

The match will not be shown on TV.

The Bulls team to play the Golden Lions at 15:00:

15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Ulrich Beyers, 11 Jesse Kriel, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Jono Ross, 5 David Bulbring, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Marcel vd Merwe

Substitutes: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 20 Wiaan Liebenberg, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Waylon Murray, 24 Ryan Nell, 25 Jacques-Louis Potgieter

 The Bulls team to play the Stormers at 17:00:

15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Louis Fouché, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Arno Botha, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip vd Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling

Substitutes: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Marcel vd Merwe, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jono Ross, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Handré Pollard, 22 Ulrich Beyers, 23 Travis Ismaiel

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE