- Joined
- Jun 18, 2010
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- 7,385
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Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Referee: TBA
Assistant Ref 1: TBA
Assistant Ref 2: TBA
TMO: TBA
[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR][TD]] Blue Bulls [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] Natal Sharks [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jurgen Visser [/TD][TD] 15 [/TD][TD] Louis Ludik [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Akona Ndungane [/TD][TD] 14 [/TD][TD] Odwa Ndungane [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Johann Sadie [/TD][TD] 13 [/TD][TD] Paul Jordaan [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Francois Venter [/TD][TD] 12 [/TD][TD] Marius Joubert [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Clayton Blommetjies [/TD][TD] 11 [/TD][TD] Sibusiso Sithole [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Louis Fouche [/TD][TD] 10 [/TD][TD] Riaan Viljoen [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Ruan Snyman [/TD][TD] 9 [/TD][TD] Charl McLeod [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dewald Potgieter © [/TD][TD] 8 [/TD][TD] Jacques Botes [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] CJ Stander [/TD][TD] 7 [/TD][TD] Jean Deysel © [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Deon Stegmann [/TD][TD] 6 [/TD][TD] Francois Kleinhans [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Grant Hattingh [/TD][TD] 5 [/TD][TD] Anton Bresler [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Wilhelm Steenkamp [/TD][TD] 4 [/TD][TD] Steven Sykes [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Werner Kruger [/TD][TD] 3 [/TD][TD] Wiehahn Herbst [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Willie Wepener [/TD][TD] 2 [/TD][TD] Monde Hadebe [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Dawie Steyn [/TD][TD] 1 [/TD][TD] Dale Chadwick [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][TD] [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Robbie Coetzee [/TD][TD] 16 [/TD][TD] Franco Marais [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Frik Kirsten [/TD][TD] 17 [/TD][TD] Julian Redelinghuys [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Cornell Hess [/TD][TD] 18 [/TD][TD] Jandre Marais [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Arno Botha [/TD][TD] 19 [/TD][TD] Lubabalo Mtembu [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Rudy Paige [/TD][TD] 20 [/TD][TD] Brynard Stander [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Loinel Cronje [/TD][TD] 21 [/TD][TD] Cobus Reinach [/TD][/TR]
[TR][TD] Jan Serfontein [/TD][TD] 22 [/TD][TD] Gouws Prinsloo [/TD][/TR]
[/TABLE]
This Saturday is full of rugby and the Bulls-Sharks match is the third in an 8-hour long broadcast of South African rugby. The Griquas and Free State Cheetahs start off in the battle of the franchise, followed by the Golden Lions and Western Province, the current Currie Cup champions against the team waiting for more than 10 years to win it. When that match ends, the biggest battle of the weekend at this level will start in Pretoria. The Blue Bulls will host the current log leader, Natal Sharks. The Durban team will be without almost an entire line-up compared to the team that played a month ago in the Super Rugby play-offs. Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Craig Burden, Keegan Daniel, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, JP Pietersen, Lwazi Mvovo, Patrick Lambie... That is a giant list of players missing. Francois Steyn, who was not eligible for the play-offs, is also with the Boks. Ryan Kankowski and Frederic Michalak left the team, but Kankowski will be back next year. With that in mind, the emergence of young stars is turning into an annual routine in Durban. When the Natal Sharks take on the Blue Bulls, yet another debutant will be part of the team. The young, dynamic Brynard Stander is on the bench in a 5-2 split.
Seeing his name on the match sheet, makes me smile. Draggs and me had a nice conversation not too long ago about the talents in the Sharks academy and after following Brynard Stander for at least a year, he was my pick to make the squad this season. Draggs was nuts about Gavin Hauptfleisch and Heimar Williams. It's a pity the latter is not in the squad. Marius Joubert in stead, will replace the injured Bosman. This doesn't make the selections that much worse, we still have Jordaan, Sithole, Reinach, Kleinhans and Hadebe taking the stage. On the bench, we will see young Franco Marais. He is moving up with Hadebe going to the starting line-up since Craig Burden travelled to Argentina to play with the Springboks. Franco Marais, who came over from the Valke academy back in 2010 is the next in line while Kyle Cooper is still out with an injury.
Back to the most thrilling selection though. Brynard Stander, a 22-year old flanker, born and raised in Durban, spend his entire youth in the Sharks academy, playing for KZN at the U13 Craven Week back in 2005. Due to injury, his emergence was delayed since he was equal to Marcell Coetzee while they played together. Maybe he can pick up the pace and become the next top loose forward. With Kleinhans, Deysel, Botes and Mtembu he has the chance to crack the starting line-up in this years Currie Cup. I will be keeping a close eye on Brynard Stander!
For the Blue Bulls, we see some familiar names. Johann Sadie is in the line-up, replacing Ulrich Beyers. In the front-row, Werner Kruger plays his first match from the start after getting a little rest on the bench for the first two matches of the season. The captain, Dewald Potgieter, makes his return after missing last weeks match with an injury. CJ Stander moves to the inside of the scrum. Grant Hattingh replaces Cornell Hess in the lock position and on the bench we see Jan Serfontein again. That promises something! Paul Jordaan against Jan Serfontein, the future of midfield Bok rugby!
