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Pretoria - Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has heaped praise on Springbok wing Bryan Habana as the latter prepares to play his last game at Newlands for the Stormers.
According to the supersport.com website, Habana will leave for Toulon at the end of the Super Rugby season, and may not play rugby for any franchise again in the country, with the Stormers trying to motivate their players to give the wing a winning send-off.
Habana, 30, used to also play for the Bulls and scored their winning try in the 2007 final, as they became the first South African franchise to lift the Super Rugby trophy, as the Bulls beat the Sharks in dramatic style after the hooter.
Ludeke said the Bulls wouldn’t be distracted by Habana’s farewell, but would definitely wish him well afterwards.
Their first priority was to secure the win to ensure they finished top of the Super Rugby log this season and give themselves the best chance for the playoffs.
"He is an amazing player, a world class player.
"It is great to be involved in the game where he is finishing off in South Africa.
"We’re so focused though, and afterwards we will go over and congratulate him, but for now we have to look at the job at hand.
"You don’t give it energy until afterwards.
"We will be glad for him," Ludeke said.
While many of Habana’s team-mates from his days at the Bulls have moved on, he still shares several friendships with those who are Springboks and whatever the result, a post-match beverage in the changerooms seems almost a certainty
Habana was also recently rewarded by the minister of sport for his achievement in becoming the first Springbok to score 50 Test tries.
Teams:
Stormers:
15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean de Villiers (captain), 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Gary van Aswegen, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Deon Fourie (vice-captain), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Pat Cilliers, 18. Gerbrandt Grobler, 19. Don Armand, 20. Nic Groom, 21. Elton Jantjies, 22. Damian de Allende
Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Morné Mellet, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Jono Ross, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Jürgen Visser
According to the supersport.com website, Habana will leave for Toulon at the end of the Super Rugby season, and may not play rugby for any franchise again in the country, with the Stormers trying to motivate their players to give the wing a winning send-off.
Habana, 30, used to also play for the Bulls and scored their winning try in the 2007 final, as they became the first South African franchise to lift the Super Rugby trophy, as the Bulls beat the Sharks in dramatic style after the hooter.
Ludeke said the Bulls wouldn’t be distracted by Habana’s farewell, but would definitely wish him well afterwards.
Their first priority was to secure the win to ensure they finished top of the Super Rugby log this season and give themselves the best chance for the playoffs.
"He is an amazing player, a world class player.
"It is great to be involved in the game where he is finishing off in South Africa.
"We’re so focused though, and afterwards we will go over and congratulate him, but for now we have to look at the job at hand.
"You don’t give it energy until afterwards.
"We will be glad for him," Ludeke said.
While many of Habana’s team-mates from his days at the Bulls have moved on, he still shares several friendships with those who are Springboks and whatever the result, a post-match beverage in the changerooms seems almost a certainty
Habana was also recently rewarded by the minister of sport for his achievement in becoming the first Springbok to score 50 Test tries.
Teams:
Stormers:
15. Gio Aplon, 14. Gerhard van den Heever, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean de Villiers (captain), 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Gary van Aswegen, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Nizaam Carr, 7. Rynhardt Elstadt, 6. Deon Fourie (vice-captain), 5. De Kock Steenkamp, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. Pat Cilliers, 18. Gerbrandt Grobler, 19. Don Armand, 20. Nic Groom, 21. Elton Jantjies, 22. Damian de Allende
Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Morné Mellet, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Jono Ross, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Jürgen Visser
