Preview: Blue Bulls v Griquas
The Blue Bulls will be eyeing a return to the top of the Currie Cup table when they host the Griquas at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The Blue Bulls will be eyeing a return to the top of the Currie Cup table when they host the Griquas at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
The Pretoria side have been the form team in this year's competition and will still be smarting form their 27-30 home defeat to the Lions last weekend.
The hosts will welcome back Springbok centre Wayne Julies for the only Currie Cup match of the weekend. The Griquas, on the other hand, face a tough task as they travel to Pretoria with a weakened squad after newly recruited former WP fly-half Naas Olivier fractured his cheekbone against the Cheetahs last week.
Julies has recovered from surgery to a knee injury that has kept him out of action all year and will partner Wynand Olivier in the midfield, with Julies in his preferred number twelve jersey. Julies has 11 Test caps and his return will add even more firepower to the Blue Bulls back-line that has impressed this year.
The Springbok centre is one of several changes to the Blue Bulls line-up as injuries to full-back Zane Kirchner, wing Akona Ndungane and lock Francois van Schouwenburg have compounded coach Frans Ludeke's selection worries after Danie Rossouw was recalled to the Springbok squad.
Van Schouwenburg's broken thumb and Rossouw's absence have forced Ludeke to name a new second row partnership in the form of line-out specialist Jaundré Kruger and Wilhelm Steenkamp while Dewald Potgieter comes on to the bench.
John Mametsa will play right wing as a result of Ndungane's hip injury which opens up the door for Rocco Jansen to start in his second Currie Cup match.
Scrum-half Heini Adams is another returnee from long-term injury and will play of the bench with SA U21 star Francois Hougaard starting at number nine in place of JP Joubert.
Chiliboy Ralepelle will start at hooker for the first time this season as the Blue Bulls try to beef up their front row. He will be joined up front by tighthead Rayno Gerber.
Meanwhile, the Griquas have made four changes to the team that went down in last Friday's no-quarter-asked-or-given local derby against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.
Apart from fly-half Olivier, who will undergo surgury on Thursday, veteran full-back/fly-half Conrad Barnard is struggling with a shoulder injury meaning utility half-back Tobie Botes returns to wear the Griquas number ten jersey.
Botes will have Dougie Helmuth as his half-back partner with the elusive Sarel Pretorius starting out among the replacements.
Flank Stephan Gerber returns to the starting line-up at number seven and with number eight Heinrich Stride earning a well-deserved break, skipper Gareth Krause has been moved from number six to the back of the Griquas scrum. Rohan Kitshoff who impressed against the Cheetahs, will pack down on the openside flank.
The hard-working Wayne van Heerden has been moved from the flank to lock where he has been preferred to fit-again Brendon Snyman, who is among the replacements.
Lock Cilliers Coetzer will play his swansong match for Griquas before relocating to France.
One encouragement for Griquas is their unchanged starting front-row of tighthead prop Ruaan du Preez, hooker Hans van Dyk and loosehead prop Albertus Buckle.
A recent addition to the Griquas squad, utility forward Tyronne Holmes from Western Province, has been named among the replacements as has centre Jaco Bekker, who is returning after a lengthy injury lay-off.
The teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Tiger Mangweni, 14 John Mametsa, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Wayne Julies, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 Wikus van Heerden (c), 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 4 Juandré Kruger, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Dewald Potgieter, 19 Jacques Burger, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marius Delport.
Griquas: 15 Bjorn Basson, 14 Gavin Passens, 13 Lafras Uys, 12 Riaan Viljoen, 11 MJ Mentz, 10 Tobie Botes, 9 Dougie Helmuth, 8 Gareth Krause (c), 7 Stephan Gerber, 6 Rohan Kitshoff, 5 Cilliers Coetzer, 4 Wayne van Heerden, 3 Ruaan du Preez, 2 Hans van Dyk, 1 Albertus Buckle.
Replacements: 16 James van der Walt, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Brendon Snyman, 19 Tyronne Holmes, 20 Sarel Pretorius, 21 Jaco Bekker, 22 Egon Seconds.
Date: Friday, August 15
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19.10 (17.10 GMT)
Referee: Christie du Preez
Touch judges: Pro Legoete, Muller van der Nest
TMO: Michael Cupido/Gerrie Coetzee