Nyakane to front up against DHL Stormers

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World Cup-winning prop Trevor Nyakane will anchor the scrum in the only change to the starting team when the Vodacom Bulls host the DHL Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 31 October 2020.

There are few rivalries as intense as the North-South derby, and the Vodacom Bulls will be looking to make amends for their 13-0 loss against the same opponents earlier this year before the pandemic put paid to the regular Vodacom Super Rugby season.

The starting team will look towards the abrasive yet dynamic style of play that Junior Springbok lock forward Ruan Nortje brings to the table.

Nortje has made 20 carries and 21 tackles thus far and finds himself one of only two players to do so after three rounds of Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked.

There is a further change amongst the finishers with Springbok loose forward Nizaam Carr replacing fellow Springbok Arno Botha.

“The Stormers tend to be our measuring stick and beating them is non-negotiable amongst the players. We’ve come off a comfortable win, while our opposition for Saturday had to scratch and claw their way past the Pumas, so the stage is set for a hard and bruising affair,” said Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White.

Kick-off 19:00.

Vodacom Bulls: 15. David Kriel, 14. Travis Ismaiel, 13. Stedman Gans, 12. Cornal Hendricks, 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Ivan van Zyl, 8. Duane Vermeulen (C), 7. Elrigh Louw, 6. Marco van Staden, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Jason Jenkins, 3. Trevor Nyakane, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 1. Jacques van Rooyen.

Replacements: 16. Joe van Zyl, 17. Gerhard Steenekamp, 18. Marcel van der Merwe, 19. Sintu Manjezi, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Marco Jansen van Vuren.

 

 

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 named to defend title

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Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 head coach, Hayden Groepes, has named his matchday squad that will face off against the Xerox Lions in the SA Rugby U21 Championship final at Emirates Airline Park on Friday, 30 October 2020.

Groepes made one change to the starting team that demolished the Cell C Sharks U21 a fortnight ago as regular captain and openside flank Jaco Labuschagne makes way for Hendri du Toit.

Prop Kudzwai Dube takes over the captaincy for this crucial encounter against the only team that had the men in blues’ number during the round-robin stage of the competition.

On the bench, WJ Steenkamp fills the vacancy left by Du Toit while Keagan Johannes and Dawid Kellerman take over from Ross Braude and Marnus Potgieter respectively.

“We’ve reached the final off the back of hard work and commitment to the game plan, but our toughest assignment lies ahead. Finals are a whole different game and in this instance, we’re facing the only team to have beaten us. This the best motivation we could ask for,” said Groepes.

Kick-off is 14:00.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21: 15. Richard Kriel, 14. Stravino Jacobs, 13. Diego Appollis, 12. Jay-Cee Nel, 11. Sebastiaan Jobb, 10. David Coetzer, 9. Bernard van der Linde, 8. Divan Venter, 7. Keenan Opperman, 6. Hendri du Toit, 5. Janko Swanepoel, 4. Jordan van Dyk, 3. Eduan Swart, 2. Janco Uys, 1. Kudzwai Dube (C).

Replacements: 16. Keano Hendricks, 17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18. Nolan Pienaar, 19. Uzile Tele, 20. WJ Steenkamp, 21. Keagan Johannes, 22. Ruben Beytell, 23. Dawid Kellerman.

 

 

Van der Merwe to start against Cell C Sharks

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Marcel van der Merwe will get his first start in Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked, after re-joining the #BullsFamily from France earlier this year, when the Vodacom Bulls host the Cell C Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 24 October 2020.

Director of Rugby, Jake White, has tinkered with his matchday team, most notably amongst the backs, that will front up against the Durbanites.

Youngster David Kriel shifts to fullback in place of the injured of Gio Aplon in a move that will have the #BullsFamily salivating at his potential with the no.15 jersey being his preferred position.

Springbok Travis Ismaiel will take over from Kriel on the right wing while Blitzbok Kurt-Lee Arendse will also get his first opportunity in Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked, after showcasing his silky skills against the same opposition the team faced at Vodacom Super Hero Saturday.

There is also a new centre combination as Springbok Cornal Hendricks shifts back to inside centre while Blitzbok Stedman Gans will man the outside centre channel on game day.

The final change in the backline sees Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier swapping places with the former shifting to the bench.

The forwards remain relatively unchanged with Elrigh Louw handed his first start at blindside flank with Arno Botha to provide cover off the bench.

Springbok Marcel van der Merwe replaces another Springbok in the shape of Trevor Nyakane in the starting lineup, with Nyakane dropping to the bench.

“We’ve got another opportunity this week against the Sharks but we need to be better than we were in Bloemfontein. We cannot afford to depend on a late comeback to save our graces which means dominating all phases of play from the first kick-off,” said White.

Vodacom Bulls: 15. David Kriel, 14. Travis Ismaiel, 13. Stedman Gans, 12. Cornal Hendricks, 11. Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Ivan van Zyl, 8. Duane Vermeulen (C), 7. Elrigh Louw, 6. Marco van Staden, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Jason Jenkins, 3. Marcel van der Merwe, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 1. Jacques van Rooyen.

Replacements: 16. Joe van Zyl, 17. Gerhard Steenekamp, 18. Trevor Nyakane, 19. Sintu Manjezi, 20. Arno Botha, 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Marco Jansen van Vuren.

Big Duane back for Toyota Cheetah

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Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White, has made five changes, including handing exciting and hard-hitting centre Clinton Swart his debut, to his starting line-up to face the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday evening, as Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked heads into round two.

Regular captain Duane Vermeulen resumes the no.8 jersey with Tim Agaba getting a rest this week while the powerful Johan Grobbelaar gets a starting opportunity in the middle of the scrum alongside Trevor Nyakane and Jacques van Rooyen.

The tenacious Springbok Embrose Papier replaces fellow Springbok scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl who drops to the bench, with Papier starting his first match of the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign, while Jade Stighling slots in on the left wing in place of Travis Ismaiel.

Swart will man the inside centre channel alongside Cornal Hendricks who shifts to outside centre with Stedman Gans moving to the bench, where his knack for exploiting gaps will be utilised when the backs of opposition start to tire.

All eyes will be focused on the midfield combination of Swart and Hendricks to face the Toyota Cheetahs as their pace and strength will in all likelihood come in handy against a Free State outfit brimming with confidence after handing the Phakisa Pumas a massive defeat last week.

The bench has also been tweaked with U21 star Joe van Zyl set to receive his first senior cap if he is called upon while Gerhard Steenekamp replaces the injured Lizo Gqoboka, who sustained a calf injury against the Tafel Lager Griquas.

Nizaam Carr is the final change amongst the replacements with the Springbok loose forward coming in for Elrigh Louw.

“We struggled to get going against the Griquas and we cannot afford the same against a strong Cheetahs team. We were fortunate to walk away with last week’s win and we need to do better by implementing our style of play in this clash as soon as possible,” said White.

Vodacom Bulls: Gio Aplon, 14. David Kriel, 13. Cornal Hendricks, 12. Clinton Swart, 11. Jade Stighling, 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Embrose Papier, 8. Duane Vermeulen (C), 7. Arno Botha, 6. Marco van Staden, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Jason Jenkins, 3. Trevor Nyakane, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 1. Jacques van Rooyen.

Replacements: 16. Joe van Zyl, 17. Gerhard Steenekamp, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. Sintu Manjezi, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Ivan van Zyl, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Stedman Gans.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 adjust for Xerox Lions clash today

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The Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 team has been named to face the Xerox Lions U21 in their SA Rugby U21 Championship Round 3 match at Emirates Airline Park today, Monday 12 October.

Head coach, Hayden Groepes, has once again made a host of changes as he continues to rotate his squad during the shortened 2020 edition of the competition.

The backline has been tweaked with Dylan Schwartz, Gerswin Mouton and Stravino Jacobs starting at fullback and on the wings respectively, while David Coetzer gets his first start at flyhalf after playing off the bench against Toyota Free State Cheetahs last week.

The forwards also sees significant changes as WJ Steenkamp makes a return in the no.8 jersey while Keenan Opperman starts in place of the incumbent blindside flank and captain, Jaco Labuschagne.

Jordan van Wyk partners Janko Swanepoel in a new-look second-row combination with Eduan Swart returning to the front row alongside Janco Uys and Kudzwai Dube with the latter leading the team against a strong Lions outfit.

Dewald Donald, Wian Otto, Uzile Tele, Johan Mulder, Ruben Liebenberg and Qamani Kota have been named on the bench.

“I was impressed by how the team stuck to our game plan and ground out the bonus point win against Free State. The team that will face the Lions has been tweaked, but the same diligence and work ethic will be expected from them. We are fortunate to have a talented squad, who are committed to our cause and know what they need to do to secure the win,” said Groepes.

Kick-off is 15:30.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21: 15. Dylan Schwartz, 14. Gerswin Mouton, 13. Sebastian de Klerk, 12. Jay-Cee Nel, 11. Stravino Jacobs, 10. David Coetzer, 9. Keagan Johannes, 8. WJ Steenkamp, 7. Keenan Opperman, 6. Hendri du Toit, 5. Janko Swanepoel, 4. Jordan van Wyk, 3. Eduan Swart, 2. Janco Uys, 1. Kudzwai Dube.

Replacements: 16. Keano Hendricks, 17. Dewald Donald, 18. Wian Otto, 19. Uzile Tele, 20. Jaco Labuschagne, 21. Johan Mulder, 22. Ruben Liebenberg, 23. Qamani Kota.

 

Botha to lead powerful Vodacom Bulls team in Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked opener

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Experienced loose forward Arno Botha will lead a Vodacom Bulls team jam-packed with Springboks, Blitzboks, and Junior Springbok talent against the Tafel Lager Griquas in the opening round of Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, 10 October 2020.

The backline remains relatively unchanged from the Vodacom Super Fan Saturday team that was triumphant against the Cell C Sharks two weeks ago.

The only change sees the fleet-footed David Kriel starting on the left wing as he makes his debut for the Vodacom Bulls.

Springboks Gio Aplon, Cornal Hendricks, Travis Ismaiel, Morné Steyn, and Ivan van Zyl are expected to shine on game day as their collective experience and ability to break the defensive line will be a cornerstone on the attack.

Amongst the forwards, Blitzbok Tim Agaba starts at no.8 where he links up with Springbok flankers Botha and Marco van Staden while locks Jason Jenkins and Ruan Nortje continue their partnership in the second row. Regular skipper Duane Vermeulen picked a slight knee niggle last weekend and is been rested as a precaution.

The front row will be propped up by the forever smiling World Cup-winning prop Trevor Nyakane and Vodacom Super Rugby stalwart Jacques ‘Policeman’ van Rooyen, who will also be making his Vodacom Bulls debut.

The bench is no different in terms of explosive talent with Springbok prop Lizo Gqoboka and Junior Springbok Johan Grobbelaar at hooker eager to return to action after injury layoffs, while lock Sintu Manjezi, flank Elrigh Louw and flyhalf Chris Smith are also set to make their Vodacom Super Rugby debuts.

“It’s been months of preparation and weeks of training with the players and management excited to get going. We have a mission, we’ve set high standards, and now is the time for the Vodacom Bulls to stamp their authority on this competition,” said Vodacom Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White.

“The experience amongst our players allows us to implement our game plan quickly and with a solid foundation. I’m extremely excited for all the players making their debuts and looking forward to watching them grow,” he added.

Kick-off is 19:00.

Vodacom Bulls: 15. Gio Aplon, 14. Travis Ismaiel, 13. Stedman Gans, 12. Cornal Hendricks, 11. David Kriel, 10. Morné Steyn, 9. Ivan van Zyl, 8. Tim Agaba, 7. Arno Botha (C), 6. Marco van Staden, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Jason Jenkins, 3. Trevor Nyakane, 2. Corniel Els, 1. Jacques van Rooyen.

Replacements: 16. Johan Grobbelaar, 17. Lizo Gqoboka, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. Sintu Manjezi, 20. Elrigh Louw, 21. Embrose Papier, 22. Chris Smith, 23. Marco Jansen van Vuren

Non-playing subs: 24. Jan Uys, 25. Duane Vermeulen, 26. Jade Stighling.

 

Press Conference Audio Link: https://we.tl/t-NvKp1nlvr3

Changes made for Vodacom Blue Bulls U21’s clash with Toyota Free State

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Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 head coach, Hayden Groepes, has made several changes to his matchday team ahead of their SA Rugby U21 Championship Round 2 meeting against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs U21 at Emirates Airline Park on Thursday, 8 October 2020.

Ruben Beytell and Richard Kriel are the only players in the backline that remain after their dominant win against DHL Western Province U21 in Round 1 with the rotation of players critical in a tournament with such short turnarounds between matches.

Kabelo Mokoena and Sebastiaan Jobb (wings); Sebastian de Klerk and Jay-Cee Nel (centres) and Keagan Johannes (scrumhalf) all get an opportunity to impress in their meeting against Free State who have their tails up after their narrow victory over the Xerox Lions U21 last Sunday.

Amongst the forwards, captain and flank Jaco Labuschagne and lock Janko Swanepoel retain their starting with Divan Venter (no.8), Hendri du Toit (flank), Raynard Roets (lock) with a new-look front row in Wian Otto, Janco Uys, and Kudzwai Dube all getting the nod in the starting line-up.

“The boys did a fantastic job against Western Province but we need to follow that up with another solid performance against Free State. Rotation of our players is a critical part of our game plan as we need to keep them fresh and injury-free throughout the campaign,” said Groepes.

Kick-off is 15:30.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21: 15. Richard Kriel, 14. Kabelo Mokoena, 13. Sebastian de Klerk, 12. Jay-Cee Nel, 11. Sebastiaan Jobb, 10. Ruben Beytell, 9. Keagan Johannes, 8. Divan Venter, 7. Jaco Labuschagne (C), 6. Hendri du Toit, 5. Janko Swanepoel, 4. Raynard Roets, 3. Wian Otto, 2. Janco Uys, 1. Kudzwai Dube.

Replacements: 16. Keano Hendricks, 17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18. Nolan Pienaar, 19. Jordan van Wyk, 20. WJ Steenkamp, 21. Bernard van der Linde, 22. David Coetzer, 23. Dylan Schwartz.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 named for DHL WP U21 meeting

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The defending SA Rugby U21 champions, the Vodacom Blue Bulls U21, have named a strong team to face DHL Western Province U21 in their opening clash of the 2020 tournament.

Exciting backs Richard Kriel, Diego Appollis, and Stravino Jacobs will be itching to stretch their legs after months of being on the sidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic while WJ Steenkamp, Jaco Labuschagne, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels will pack the necessary punch amongst the forwards.

This year’s edition follows a format similar to the World Rugby U20 Championship where matches are played every few days as opposed to the usual week on week basis.

The 2020 SA Rugby U21 Championship will see the Vodacom Blue Bulls U21, Xerox Golden Lions U21, Toyota Free State Cheetahs U21, Cell C Sharks U21, and DHL Western Province U21 contest the silverware from Sunday, 4 October until the final on Friday, 30 October.

“The pressure is definitely on as defending champions but we have a relatively settled squad and exceptional players that know what they need to do. They are looking forward to their assignment against WP and will need to start strong and secure a winning culture from the start,” said Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 head coach, Hayden Groepes.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21: 15. Richard Kriel, 14. Gerswin Mouton, 13. Diego Appollis, 12. Dawid Kellerman, 11. Stravino Jacobs, 10. Ruben Beytell, 9. Johan Mulder, 8. WJ Steenkamp, 7. Jaco Labuschagne (C), 6. Janko Swanepoel, 4. Jordan van Dyk, 3. Eduan Swart, 2. Joe van Zyl, 1. Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

Replacements: 16. Janco Uys, 17. Dewald Donald, 18. Wian Otto, 19. Adolph Visser, 20. Divan Venter, 21. Ross Braude, 22. Alex-Zander du Plessis, 23. Jay-Cee Nel.