Currie Cup latest – Botha leads Bully boys
13 Jul 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from the Currie Cup.
Botha leads Bully boys – Gary Botha was confirmed as Blue Bulls captain on Wednesday and will lead the charge against the Sharks this Saturday.
Coach Pine Pienaar has named Jurgens Visser to start at fullback, while prop Corne Fourie will also make his debut.
Former Lions and Clermont hooker, Willie Wepener, is on the bench.
Bulls – Jurgen Visser, Akona Ndungane, Stephan Dippenaar, Stefan Watermeyer, Gerhard van den Heever, Francois Brummer, Dustin Jinka, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Dewald Potgieter, Derick Kuün, Juandré Kruger, Fudge Mabeta, Rossouw de Klerk, Gary Botha (c), Corné Fourie.
Subs: Willie Wepener, Juan Schoeman, Okkie Kruger, CJ Stander, Lohan Jacobs, Marnitz Boshoff, Francois Venter.
Strauss back for Cheetahs – Andries Strauss has recovered from a serious groin injury in time to lead the Cheetahs in their Currie Cup opener against the Leopards on Saturday.
The inside centre missed the last half of the Super Rugby campaign after picking up the injury in March, but now starts alongside Corné Uys in the midfield.
There are also several youngsters that will make their Currie Cup debuts in Bloemfontein. Flank Lappies Labuschagne, Springbok Sevens forward Boom Prinsloo, hooker Michael van Vuuren and prop Marcel van der Merwe while hooker PW van Vuuren, prop Trevor Nyakane and scrumhalf Piet van Zyl are set to make their first senior appearances off the bench.
Centre Robert Ebersohn, wing Jongi Nokwe and flanker Philip van der Walt are still out injured.
Cheetahs – 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Riaan Smit, 13 Corné Uys, 12 Andriess Strauss (c), 11 Rayno Benjamin, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Boom Prinsloo, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Waltie Vermeulen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 WP Nel, 2 Michael van Vuuren, 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Subs: 16 PW van Vuuren, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Izak van der Westhuizen, 19 Pieter Myburgh, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Phillip Snyman, 22 Phillip Burger.
59 Comments
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13 Jul 2011, 18:59 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-50:
On a balance of factors, the captaincy should come to one of Juandre Kruger, Dewald Potgieter or Pierre Spies.
Juandre still has to prove himself at Super rugby level and there are questions surrounding Dewald’s suitability to the no.7 position at the highest level, due to his relatively small size.
Personally, I would be happy with any of the above three choices. But if I had to place a bet, I’d go with Pierre.
Besides, what captaincy experience did Stefan Terblanche or Keegan Daniel have?
13 Jul 2011, 19:22 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-48: I hear you, but I think that the very fact that Piere Spies is now the senior Bok and no longer has the experience and tactical nous of Fdp and VM especially to rely on to get him into the game will mean that he will be seriously shown up in the tactical, strategic and visionary stakes come next year, and this will make Potgieter indispencible for the Bulls and Spies, because he has what Spies lacks in that regard.
He has been around long enough and has consistently kept the likes of the big Pedrie Wannenburg and Danie Rossouw out of the starting 15 in that time because of that very reason. He has something special to bring to the party and HM knows that. Also remember that he is only 24 and with time on his side there is no reason why he can’t add on a couple of additional kilos now that his body has transitioned from youngster to man. All the big 7s around are 26 years old and plus.
Another thing is that Hougard at 9 is an instinctive player more than a tactician, so his presence will have a further impact on Spies’effectiveness. The Bulls might even be forced to swop Spies and Potgieter around positionally to get the best out of both.
13 Jul 2011, 20:12 pm
@grant10(grant10)-43: He reminds me a lot of guys like Morne du Plessis, Doug Hopwood, Zinzan Brooke and Mervyn Davies, all guys who played their best rugby at 8 and below 100kg’s. His most outstanding trait, typically a la Hopwood, is his selflessness with ball in hand, always seeking to set up team mates, and his ability to protect and offload the ball. He literally has the same skillsets and vision as these guys and yet is forced to play behind the Bok 8 who at best is a phenom, but, for the most, battles to catch a ball.
13 Jul 2011, 20:14 pm
@Ogre(Ogre)-53:
If Spies wasn’t there, Rossouw would be the Bulls no.8.
Potgieter is too small.
13 Jul 2011, 20:50 pm
At 100 kg and 1,9 m, I beg to differ. It is a fallacy that an 8 needs to be a monster. See post 93 and recall guys like Johan Marais of N Tvl. At his prime, Zinzan Brooke weighed 102kg, Doug Hopwood, Morne Dup and Mervyn Davies shone at 95 kgs. Eight is a position where skill and vision far outweighs size, and unfortunately Spies has neither. The days of hulking 8′s trying to bash across the advantage line are over. Nowadays they just put two tacklers on the big carriers. It has been proven this year.
How many tries were scored this year which were directly attributable to the size of the 8′s that scored them. I recall 1 from Alberts, 1 from Kieran Reid, 1 from Radike Samo and 1 from the Blues 8 Fritz.. And then there was one by Josh Strauss of the Lions, but he is hardly a big 8.
I say the Bulls will be far better off playing Spies at 7, but the problem is, he is of heart not a bustling confrontational type of guy like a Kaino or Juan Smith or Schalk Burger or Willem Alberts for that matter. He does not thrive on the really hard yards and physical stuff. Mark my words, he will be severely exposed next year without FdP, Matfield and Bakkies/DanieR there to think and front for him.
Where was he this year as an attacking force when FdP was injured. Nowhere. He is a dinosaur dating back to a time when different rules applied. In fact, you will see it start to happen in the WC 2011 already, in spite of Bakkies and VM and FdP being there.
13 Jul 2011, 20:53 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-54: Rossouw is gone as well, remember. So if we need a bigger 7 and a more effective 8, the logical thing is swop them around. Better the devil you know….
13 Jul 2011, 22:24 pm
@Ogre(Ogre)-56:
I know Rossouw is gone. What I’m saying is that even at Bok level, Rossouw is preferred at 8 over Potgieter, who doesn’t even make the squad.
So I’m really disagreeing with your argument of the usefulness of smaller no.8′s. I think the opposite is true, and the increasing trend, with Duane Vermeulen, Kieran Read etc. etc. being the norm.
Morne Du Plessis and those guys were from the amateur era. Today’s backs are bigger than them. They would not succeed in modern rugby.
13 Jul 2011, 22:52 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-57: Evening Tackie. I’d have to agree with your debating partner on this one. Skill and not size is what counts. Yes size can be an advantage but skill trumps size any day of the week. In the broader sense; speed, vision, defense, linking and a few other attributes make up the ideal No 8. Vermeulen and Johnson, to name but two current SA No 8′s, have those attributes. Danie also has all of those but is slowing down as pension inevitably approaches.
13 Jul 2011, 23:05 pm
@TASSIES(TASSIES)-58:
Danie didn’t look too slow when he burst through the Cheetahs midfield (including Coenie) on the 28th of May at Loftus to sprint 30 metres or so to score a try.
Anyway, if you can have a big player that can do the same as a smaller guy, then you would probably want to include the bigger man. There are a few exception, such as openside flank where the roaming player is detached from many set responsibilities. Shorter players like Brussow and Stegmann both weigh 104Kgs- the same as Richie McCaw, but their build gives them a slight advantage in many areas of the game.
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