Three changes for Vodacom Bulls ahead of Zebre Parma clash

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The Vodacom Bulls have made three changes to their team that will take on Zebre Parma in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship Round 10 match at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi on Friday night.

A forced change following the suspension of the experienced pivot, Morné Steyn, who will miss the next three matches for the Vodacom Bulls, sees the reliable Chris Smith earning a starting berth in the No10 jersey. He will form a half-back pairing with Embrose Papier, who is promoted from the bench from the side’s previous match against the Emirates Lions a fortnight ago.

The versatile Kurt-Lee Arendse makes his way back into the starting XV, where he will start at fullback, forming a formidable back trio, alongside the experienced Cornal Hendricks and explosive Madosh Tambwe, who will be the starting wingers.

Continuity among the forwards sees no changes being made in the starting pack.

Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, said ahead of the game: “We are looking forward to being back in action in the Vodacom URC, following a week’s break after our previous match against the Cell C Sharks.

“We are expecting a tough challenge against Zebre Parma, in their own backyard at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. We are looking forward to an entertaining game of rugby, with our aim, of course, being an effort to return home with another overseas win under our belts.”

The match will kick off at 19h30. The match will be televised on SuperSport.

 

The Vodacom Bulls team to face Zebre Parma is:

STARTERS (15-1): Kurt-Lee Arendse (Betway Centurion), Cornal Hendricks (Northam Rhinos), Lionel Mapoe (Pretoria), Harold Vorster (Northam Rhinos), Madosh Tambwe (Pretoria), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Embrose Papier (FNB Tuks); Elrigh Louw (FNB Tuks), Arno Botha (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Marcell Coetzee (CAPT, ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Ruan Nortje (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Walt Steenkamp (Tuine), Jacques van Rooyen (Tuine), Johan Grobbelaar (FNB Tuks), Gerhard Steenekamp (ABE Midas Naka Bulle)

IMPACT (16-23): Bismarck du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Simphiwe Matanzima (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), WJ Steenkamp (Tuine); Keagan Johannes (FNB Tuks), Ruan Mostert (Harlequins), Canan Moodie (Pretoria)

Vodacom Bulls name 28-man squad ahead of Zebre Parma clash

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The Vodacom Bulls have named the squad travelling to Parma, Italy, where they will take on Zebre Parma in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash on Friday

The squad left South Africa on Monday and is expected to arrive in Italy today, where they will continue their preparations for their first overseas match since last October.

Despite the side going into the match without the services of experienced flyhalf Morné Steyn, who will be serving the first of his three-match ban following a red card in the Vodacom Bulls’ previous fixture against the Cell C Sharks, the side from Pretoria has selected a strong squad.

 The touring squad is:

FORWARDS:
Lizo Gqoboka, Gerhard Steenekamp, Simphiwe Matanzima, Jacques van Rooyen, Robert Hunt, Bismarck du Plessis, Johan Grobbelaar, Joe van Zyl, Walt Steenkamp, Ruan Nortje, Janko Swanepoel, Marcell Coetzee, Arno Botha, Elrigh Louw, WJ Steenkamp, Reinhardt Ludwig.

BACKS:
Embrose Papier, Keagan Johannes, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Chris Smith, Juan Mostert, Harold Vorster, Lionel Mapoe, Stedman Gans, Cornal Hendricks, Madosh Tambwe, Canan Moodie, Kurt-Lee Arendse.

Three-week sanction for Morné Steyn

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Veteran flyhalf, Morné Steyn, will miss the Vodacom Bulls’ next three fixtures after being handed a three-week sanction following a red card in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against the Cell C Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, February 12.

The 37-year-old pivot received the red card in the 11th minute of the South African derby for a dangerous tackle on Cell C Sharks centre and captain, Lukhanyo Am.

The decision to sanction Steyn will mean that the experienced No10 will not be part of the Vodacom Bulls team that will travel to Italy where they will face Zebre Parma on Friday.

A Disciplinary Committee met on Thursday, February 17, to consider the incident which was considered a contravention of Law 9.13 which states: “A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders.”

According to a statement released by the United Rugby Championship, the Disciplinary Panel of Jennifer Donovan (Chair, Ireland), Rose Alice Murphy (Ireland) and Tony Wheat (Ireland) considered all the evidence available and concluded that the referee’s decision to issue the red card was correct and so upheld the red card.

The panel carefully considered the evidence and found that there was a high degree of danger, that the action was at speed with contact made to the neck and jaw area, with insufficient mitigation to reduce the level of sanction.

The panel determined that the entry point be mid-range which carried a suspension of six (6) weeks. [Steyn] did accept that he had committed an act of foul play but did not accept that it warranted a red card.

The panel considered the [Steyn’s] previous good record and admittance to a late and high tackle, and determined that it would reduce the sanction by three (3) weeks.

As a result, Steyn has been banned for a period of three (3) weeks. He can return to play from Sunday, 13 March 2022.

This ban will include two games in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and one game in the Carling Currie Cup.

Fixtures Morné Steyn is unavailable for:

  • VURC: Zebre Parma v Vodacom Bulls (Friday, February 25, 2022)
  • Carling Currie Cup: Tafel Lager Griquas vs Vodacom Bulls (Saturday, March 5, 2022)
  • VURC: Vodacom Bulls v Munster (Saturday, March 12, 2022)

Steyn will be available for selection when the Vodacom Bulls take on the Cell C Sharks in the Carling Currie Cup on Wednesday, March 16, and for the Vodacom URC fixture against Scarlets on March 19.

Vodacom Bulls find inspiration in facing talented Cell C Sharks side

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The Vodacom Bulls are bracing themselves for a heated battle when they take on the Cell C Sharks in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

David Kriel will make a return to the side, starting at fullback, this weekend while Cornal Hendricks will also earn a starting berth on the right wing in the only changes to the backline in the starting XV.

Gerhard Steenekamp will be the only new face to the forwards pack that started against the Emirates Lions last week. He changes spots with Simphiwe Matanzima in a rotational switch, as the former makes his way to the bench.

The Vodacom Bulls are wary of the threat that will be a Springbok-laden Cell C Sharks side that will be looking to bounce back after suffering a defeat against the DHL Stormers last weekend.

“The Cell C Sharks are always a formidable opponent, and we will have to be at our best when we face a side that is so full of talent,” Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White.

“For us to face a team with the SA Rugby Player of the Year, Siya Kolisi is a challenge we should look forward to. Furthermore, it is also inspirations to be able to play a domestic derby against the captain of the national team who also collects all of these accolades for his performance on and off the field. It certainly is inspiring that we have players of his calibre who choose to remain and play for domestic franchises when he could easily take up a contract elsewhere.

“This will be a great opportunity for youngsters like Elrigh Louw to be able to go up against an inspirational character like Siya. Then you also have players like Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi, Bongi Mbonambi, and a host of others in that Cell C Sharks team whom our guys will want to measure themselves against in a premier competition like the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.

“We can look forward to a thrilling game at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.”

The match will kick off at 17h05, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

 The Vodacom Bulls team is:

STARTERS (15-1): David Kriel (Betway Centurion), Cornal Hendricks (Northam Rhinos), Lionel Mapoe (Pretoria), Harold Vorster (Northam Rhinos), Madosh Tambwe (Pretoria), Morne Steyn (Tuine), Zak Burger (Tuine); Elrigh Louw (UP Tuks), Arno Botha (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Marcell Coetzee (CAPT, ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Ruan Nortje (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Walt Steenkamp (Betway Centurion), Jacques van Rooyen (Tuine), Johan Grobbelaar (UP Tuks), Gerhard Steenekamp (ABE Midas Naka Bulle).

Replacements (16-23): Bismarck du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Simphiwe Matanzima (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), Muller Uys (UP Tuks), Embrose Papier (UP Tuks), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Canan Moodie (Pretoria).

 

Vodacom Bulls need to step up a gear against ‘quality’ Cell C Sharks – Nortje

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The Vodacom Bulls take on the Cell C Sharks in what is set to be a grueling contest between the two sides in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Loftus Versfeld this coming Saturday.

The two sides met before the end-year break in December, and it was the team from Durban that claimed the bragging rights from that encounter, winning the game 30-16 at home.

The Vodacom Bulls are aware of the daunting task that lies ahead when the Springbok-laden coastal side visits Tshwane.

“In the previous game we struggled a little bit in the set-pieces, especially scrum time, and that gave the Cell C Sharks a lot of opportunities to get into our 22-metre area and convert their opportunities into points,” Vodacom Bulls lock, Ruan Nortje, reflected on the previous encounter between the sides.

The 23-year-old second-rower has been one of the most consistent performers in the blue jersey over the past year, earning the respect of both teammates and opposition.

Despite the feather in the Vodacom Bulls’ cap of having obtained two back-to-back wins over the Emirates Lions in the past fortnight, Nortje believes his side has some work to do ahead of the clash against the Cell C Sharks.

“We have quite a few ‘work-ons’ for ourselves from the past weekend. There are a few a few departments that will need us to step up,” said the workhorse lock.

“We now have another massive opportunity to play the Cell C Sharks again. They are a quality side, and it will be great to test ourselves against some of the best players in the country.

“A massive step up will be required from us at scrum time this weekend, and also at the breakdown. We will just need to work hard this weekend and we will need to step it up if we want to perform against the Cell C Sharks.”

The side from Durban suffered a 20-10 defeat to the DHL Stormers at the weekend. Nortje is convinced that their opponents will come out stronger this weekend as they try to get back to winning ways.

“The Cell C Sharks are a quality side with lots of internationals, so I don’t think the past weekend’s result will affect them in any way. They will be ready to bounce back,” he said.

The match between the Vodacom Bulls and Cell C Sharks will kick off at 17h05 on Saturday. The match will be televised on SuperSport.

The Vodacom United Rugby Championship, a rugby competition perfectly positioned to put the spotlight on young stars

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For a young rugby star, the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and the peak of social media have combined to create a potent opportunity of catching the right people’s attention at the right time in their careers, and which could open the door to bigger things.

“The Vodacom United Rugby Championship and social media are coming together perfectly. As a young player, if you put in a great performance or a Player of the Match performance on the weekend, you can be certain people are looking and will be talking about you on Monday. And the right people will be noticing,” says Bob Skinstad.

Skinstad was speaking on the back of another entertaining weekend of rugby in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship that has positioned itself as the platform for the next generation of international rugby stars to take their careers to the next level.

With a legacy in the game dating back to 1996, Vodacom has supported rugby as it transitioned from the amateur to professional era, and then from pre-social media to the digital media revolution now driving the game forward. Their deep investment into the game includes the creation of bespoke rugby content for their digital platforms, showcasing even further the depth of talent in South Africa.

And none more so than in the case of Vodacom Bulls winger Madosh Tambwe, who produced another strong Player of the Match performance in their 21-13 victory over the Emirates Lions at Loftus Versfeld.

Madosh Tambwe of the Vodacom Bulls and Francke Horn of the Emirates Lions during the United Rugby Championship 2021/22 game between the Emirates Lions and the Vodacom Bulls at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on 29 January 2022
©Christiaan Kotze/BackpagePix

“He was the standout player for me in that game. He did start by giving away a penalty, but then he just powered through the rest of that match. Madosh is big, strong, and fast. He’s finishing well and making big tackles, and isn’t making too many huge defensive errors.” says Skinstad.

On a weekend of back-to-back rugby up north and where Skinstad says he was pleased to see a host of South Africans stand out, the former Springbok skipper says this was a weekend where the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in particular delivered on its promise to keep things interesting. Ulster gave the South African teams some hope of climbing the log with their 32-12 win against Connacht, and the Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers did exactly what they needed to do to just secure the points.

“From a personal point of view, it’s nice for me to see the Stormers leading the way for the South African teams. Their 20-10 victory over the Sharks was a bit of an arm-wrestle, but that happens when two teams know each other so well. But what was pleasing for me, and I think it will be the same for John Dobson, is that the Stormers have until now scored 58% of their points in the first half, and in this match, it was great to see them shift that around and be dominant in the second half as well. And the chip-and-chase try by Seabelo Senatla before halftime was brilliant. Overall, I think the DHL Stormers did a much better job of their exits from the danger zones. As for the Jukskei derby, it was typical 10-man rugby from the Bulls but it got them the points they needed, and with Morné Steyn again providing such consistency with his kicking.”

Seabelo Senatla of the Stormers scores a try during the United Rugby Championship 2021/22 game between the Stormers and the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium on 5 February 2022 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Looking ahead, Skinstad sees the DHL Stormers in the best position of all the South African teams as the international leg of the competition edges closer for them.

“I think they’ll feel they can make a real run of it and I’m looking forward to when they travel. Sure, they’re still in the bottom half of the table. But they have games in hand. If they win their remaining games, they’ll overtake Connacht on the log. As it stands they’ve got two matches in hand and are only two points behind Connacht.”

One change for Vodacom Bulls ahead of Emirates Lions clash

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The Vodacom Bulls have opted for continuity, making only one change to the starting XV that will take on the Emirates Lions in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Scrumhalf Zak Burger will make a return to the starting team this week as the only change, where he will replace Embrose Papier in a rotational change that sees the latter starting the match off the bench.

Cornal Hendricks, who was on Carling Currie Cup duty earlier in the week, has also been added to the replacements as backline cover, and he will be the only new face to the bench that was at Emirates Airline Park last weekend.

“The result from last weekend when we beat the Emirates Lions at Emirates Airline Park will mean nothing. It’s now a new week and they will come to Loftus Versfeld a hungry side and will want to make amends for the defeat last Saturday,” said Vodacom Bulls director of rugby, Jake White.

“We expect nothing less than another challenging encounter against the side from Johannesburg. They showed how strong they can be in the set pieces last week, while also coming at us with some clever, running rugby. We can definitely expect more of the same this weekend.”

The match between the Vodacom Bulls and Emirates Lions will kick off at 15h00, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

 The Vodacom Bulls team to take on the Emirates Lions is:

STARTERS (15-1): Kurt-Lee Arendse (Betway Centurion), Canan Moodie (Pretoria), Lionel Mapoe (Pretoria), Harold Vorster (Northam), Madosh Tambwe (Pretoria), Morné Steyn (Tuine), Zak Burger (Tuine); Elrigh Louw (FNB Tuks), Arno Botha (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Marcell Coetzee (CAPT, ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Ruan Nortje (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Walt Steenkamp (Tuine), Jacques van Rooyen (Tuine), Johan Grobbelaar (FNB Tuks), Simphiwe Matanzima (ABE Midas Naka Bulle)

IMPACT (16-23): Bismarck du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Lizo Gqoboka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), Muller Uys (FNB Tuks); Embrose Papier (FNB Tuks), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Cornal Hendricks (Northam)

 

‘New standards’ set for Vodacom Bulls ahead of Emirates Lions clash

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 Another bruising encounter can be expected when the Vodacom Bulls take on the Emirates Lions on Saturday in the return game of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. This time Loftus Versfeld will be the battlefield as the home side will look to repeat their 34-10 victory from last weekend.

However, the side from Tshwane is wary of the challenge that lies ahead as prop, Simphiwe Matanzima, sees opportunities for improvement for his side while centre Harold Vorster has indicated that the Vodacom Bulls has set new standards this week for Round 2 of the Jukskei bout.

“We always look at ourselves – there’s always room for improvements,” said Matanzima in the buildup to the game.

“We did have a good performance [last weekend], but there are some facets of the game that we can improve. We are just looking forward to a complete performance on Saturday, touching upon all the small details.”

Looking back at last weekend’s victory, Vorster was pleased with his side’s execution and is wary of a fightback from a “wounded” Emirates Lions side this week.

“We just managed to put them under pressure, and we executed our plans well on the day. I don’t think they lack anything, they are still a very good side,” said the former Emirates Lions centre.

“It’s now a fresh week – the past weekend is gone, and I’m pretty sure that the Emirates Lions are having good preparations. We have to set new standards for ourselves this week.”

The Vodacom Bulls will announce their team to take on the Emirates Lions on Friday.

The match will kick off at 15h00 on Saturday, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

Tough Carling Currie Cup clash expected against Toyota Cheetahs

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An exciting Vodacom Bulls side will take on the Toyota Cheetahs in a Carling Currie Cup encounter at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow night.

Vodacom Bulls’ Carling Currie Cup head coach, Gert Smal, has selected a team with a balance of youth and experience which will see the centre pairing of Cornal Hendricks and Stedman Gans in the backline, while winger, Stravino Jacobs, makes a return to the starting XV.

Teenage flanker, Cameron Hanekom, will earn a starting berth at blindside flank where he will partner up with WJ Steenkamp on the openside and Muller Uys at No8.

The Vodacom Bulls will unleash a solid starting front row which includes Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop, Robert Hunt on the other side of the scrum, and Schalk Erasmus starting in the No2 jumper.

“The team had a week’s break after the opening two matches of the Carling Currie Cup season where we have had an opportunity to work on areas that we felt we needed to improve and those we felt we could further enhance where we thought we did well in the matches against the Airlink Pumas and DHL Western Province,” said Smal.

“We now have the tough task of facing a dangerous Toyota Cheetahs team whom we know will give us a good challenge. We expect the side from Bloemfontein to come to Loftus Versfeld highly motivated, and they will give us both a physical and running game on Wednesday night.

The match will kick off at 17h45 on Wednesday, and it will be televised on SuperSport.

 The Vodacom Bulls team to face the Toyota Cheetahs is:

 STARTERS (15-1): David Kriel (Betway Centurion), Sibongile Novuka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Stedman Gans (Northam), Cornal Hendricks (CAPT, Northam), Stravino Jacobs (Harlequins), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Marco Jansen van Vuren (Pretoria); Muller Uys (FNB Tuks), Cameron Hanekom (Harlequins), WJ Steenkamp (Tuine), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), Reinhardt Ludwig (FNB Tuks), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Schalk Erasmus (Tuine), Gerhard Steenekamp (ABE Midas Naka Bulle).

 IMPACT (16-23): Joe van Zyl (Harlequins), Lizo Gqoboka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Sebastian Lombard (Betway Centurion), Raynard Roets (Betway Centurion), Jaco Labuschagne (Pretoria), Keagan Johannes (FNB Tuks), FC du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Richard Kriel (Tuine).