Share

Dropped Bok prop told to improve fitness

Cape Town - Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane needs to improve his fitness if he is to get a chance in the Bulls squad, coach John Mitchell has indicated.

Nyakane started in the Bulls’ warm-up game against the Jaguares earlier this month but was not included in their 23-man squad for Saturday’s Super Rugby opener against the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

Mitchell picked Frans van Wyk (tighthead) and Pierre Schoeman (loosehead) as his two starting props, with Lizo Gqoboka and Conraad van Vuuren providing cover on the bench.

The 37-Test capped Nyakane, who was shifted from loosehead to tighthead last year, will have to hit the gym hard over the next few weeks if he is to regain his spot.

“Trevor’s not far away. It really depends upon himself, the programme might change. He will probably be (back after) one week, maybe two, but it really depends on what he does in the next two weeks,” Mitchell said at a press conference in Pretoria on Thursday, as quoted by Netwerk24.

Mitchell added: “Clearly if there is an injury, then it becomes a different plan. He (Nyakane) is going well. He has the ability to play both sides of the scrum and we’ve got some healthy competition within the group. The guys realise that it comes down to what you do as opposed to what you have done in the past.”

Saturday’s Bulls v Hurricanes clash kicks off at 17:15.

Teams:

Bulls

15 Divan Rossouw 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal (captain), 11 Johnny Kotze, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Andre Warner, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman

Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Nic de Jager, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Marnitz Boshoff, 23 Duncan Matthews

Hurricanes

15 Matt Proctor, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Wes Goosen, 10 Ihaia West, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Gareth Evans, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Brad Shields (captain), 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Vaea Fifita, 3 Ben May, 2 Ricky Ricctelli, 1 Toby Smith

Substitutes: 16 James O'Reilly, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Alex Fidow, 19 Murray Douglas, 20 Blade Thomson, 21 Jamie Booth, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Ben Lam

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% - 1116 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1282 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 1976 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