Pollard back for Vodacom Bulls

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Vodacom Bulls coach, Pote Human, named Handré Pollard at flyhalf and captain for Friday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

The pivot missed the last two matches on tour due to injury, but returns in a much-changed backline from the one that drew against the Blues a week ago.

Divan Rossouw (for Warrick Gelant) and Dylan Sage (for Rosko Specman) will join Pollard (replacing Manie Libbok) in the starting line-up. Sage will move to outside centre, while Johnny Kotze moves one out in place of the injured Specman.

Human also recalled Embrose Papier to partner Pollard at halfback, with Ivan van Zyl moving to the bench and Andre Warner missing out.

The loose trio that finished the game against the Blues will start against the Highlanders.

Marco van Staden will play at no 8 in place of injured Paul Schoeman, with Hanro Liebenberg and Ruan Steenkamp on the side of the scrum. The tight five remains intact.

Johan Grobbelaar comes onto the bench as a loose forward.

Human said the tour provided some good results, but can only be seen a successful one if they get the desired outcome against the Highlanders.

“This is going to be very tough for us, but this group thrives on challenges. I think they last lost to a team from outside New Zealand in 2016, so we need to be at our very best if we want to change that statistic.”

Pollard said he is keen to get back onto the field.

“The short break was great and I am happy to be back. This is a great venue to play at and we are determined to make our visit a productive one. We last won here in 2007, so it is about time we change that.”

The team is (with Super caps and points):

  1. Divan Rossouw (24, 15)
  2. Cornal Hendricks (38, 65)
  3. Dylan Sage (8, 0)
  4. Burger Odendaal (54, 30)
  5. Johnny Kotze (44, 45)
  6. Handré Pollard (c; 57, 598)
  7. Embrose Papier (22, 5)
  8. Marco van Staden (23, 15)
  9. Hanro Liebenberg (41, 30)
  10. Ruan Steenkamp (18, 0)
  11. RG Snyman (46, 10)
  12. Jason Jenkins (50, 35)
  13. Trevor Nyakane (105, 15)
  14. Schalk Brits (73, 20))
  15. Lizo Gqoboka (51, 15)

Replacements:

  1. Jaco Visagie (44, 5)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (14)
  3. Wiehahn Herbst (47, 0)
  4. Jannes Kirsten (29, 20)
  5. Johannes Grobbelaar (3, 0)
  6. Ivan van Zyl (28, 35)
  7. Manie Libbok (16, 50)
  8. JT Jackson (2, 0)

 

Two changes for Vodacom Bulls against Blues

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Vodacom Bulls coach, Pote Human, named Ivan van Zyl at scrumhalf and flanker Marco van Staden in his starting team for Friday’s Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland. Van Zyl takes over from Andre Warner and Van Staden comes in at flank for Paul Schoeman, who moves to no. 8 in place of Duane Vermeulen.

The Springbok no. 8 returned to South Africa as part of the SA Rugby agreement with contracted Springboks and their franchises.

Jason Jenkins will don the blue jersey for the 50th time.

According to Human, they need to start well against the home side, who have won 11 of their 12 home games against the Vodacom Bulls.

“We need to get a good start and sustain that throughout the match. They have some quality players, but the real test will be in the set-pieces. The Blues have the best scrum success rate (97%) in the competition, so that will be a critical area for us.”

With Handré Pollard and Duane Vermeulen out, Burger Odendaal will take over the captaincy.

The midfielder said they have clear objectives in this match.

“We are the underdogs, no doubt about that. That is good for us, as we can only concentrate on our own game and that we want to achieve. This will have to be very clinical performance from us. If not, it will be a long evening.”

The team is:

  1. Warrick Gelant (37, 60)
  2. Cornal Hendricks (37, 60)
  3. Johnny Kotze (43, 45)
  4. Burger Odendaal (c; 53, 30)
  5. Rosko Spekman (10, 25)
  6. Manie Libbok (15, 38)
  7. Ivan van Zyl (27, 5)
  8. Paul Schoeman (31, 35)
  9. Hanro Liebenberg (40, 25)
  10. Marco van Staden (22, 15)
  11. RG Snyman (45, 10)
  12. Jason Jenkins (49, 35)
  13. Trevor Nyakane (104, 15)
  14. Schalk Brits (72, 20)
  15. Lizo Gqoboka (50, 15)

Replacements:

  1. Jaco Visagie (43, 5)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (13, 5)
  3. Wiehahn Herbst (46, 0)
  4. Jannes Kirsten (29, 10)
  5. Ruan Steenkamp (17, 0)
  6. Andre Warner (17, 15)
  7. JT Jackson (2, 0)
  8. Divan Rossouw (23, 15)

Notes:

Jason Jenkins will play in his 50th match in Vodacom Super Rugby.

Vermeulen to lead Vodacom Bulls against Brumbies

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Duane Vermeulen will lead the Vodacom Bulls in their Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Brumbies at GIO Stadium in Canberra on Friday.

Regular captain, Handré Pollard will miss this clash due to a calf strain picked up in training earlier this week, and will be returning to South Africa. His place in the number 10 jersey will be taken by Manie Libbok, with Vermeulen taking over as captain.

Human called JT Jackson onto the bench in place of the promoted Libbok. The rest of the match day squad that played against the Rebels last week, remain unchanged.

Human said Libbok, who started for the Vodacom Bulls against the Jaquares earlier in the season, has big shoes to fill, but certainly has the ability and skills to help the team achieve a second win on tour.

“He would not be around if he was not good enough, that is for sure. Handré is probably the leading 10 in the world at the moment, so to take over from him is not easy, but Manie has done well for us when he took to the field this year and I have the utmost confidence in him this weekend. He is an exciting young talent and we are looking forward to watching him grow.”

For Vermeulen, the defensive effort that the squad showed last week, must be repeated.

“We defended very well when under severe pressure and the Brumbies are going to test us the same way. They are so skilled and determined, we cannot let our guard down or we will pay the price,” he said

Kick-off is at 11h45 SA time.

 

The team (with caps and points) is:

  1. Warrick Gelant (42, 70)
  2. Cornal Hendricks (36, 60)
  3. Johnny Kotze (42, 45)
  4. Burger Odendaal (52, 30)
  5. Rosko Specman (9, 25)
  6. Manie Libbok (14, 33)
  7. André Warner (16, 15)
  8. Duane Vermeulen (captain; 120, 50)
  9. Hanro Liebenberg (39, 20)
  10. Paul Schoeman (30, 35)
  11. RG Snyman (44, 10)
  12. Jason Jenkins (48, 35)
  13. Trevor Nyakane (103, 15)
  14. Schalk Brits (71, 20)
  15. Lizo Gqoboka (49, 15)

 

Replacements:

  1. Jaco Visagie (42, 5)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (12, 5)
  3. Wiehan Herbst (45, 0)
  4. Jannes Kirsten (28, 10)
  5. Marco van Staden (21, 15)
  6. Embrose Papier (21, 5)
  7. JT Jackson (1, 0)
  8. Divan Rossouw (22, 15)

Note:

Lizo Gqoboka will play in his 50th match for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament.

Kriel and De Jager to leave Vodacom Bulls

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The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd confirmed the departure of Springboks Lood de Jager and Jesse Kriel at the end of the current season and wished them well in their future endeavours.

De Jager will join Sale Sharks in England and Kriel is heading to Japan to play for the Canon Eagles.

The CEO of the BBC, Alfons Meyer, thanks the two Vodacom Bulls players for the legacy they will leave in Pretoria.

“There can be no doubt that both were very popular amongst our fans, not only because of their personalities, but also because of their passion for the Vodacom Bulls and their styles of play.

“Neither ever stopped trying to give 110% and both became Springboks that have graced the green and gold with much aplomb. We are sad to see them leave, but we cannot fault their contributions and commitments while they were here,” Meyer said.

“We wish them well in their careers.”

Kriel has played for the Vodacom Bulls 69 times, scoring 19 tries. He played in 40 tests this far and scored 12 tries.

De Jager played in 20 matches for the Vodacom Bulls (and 40 for the Toyota Cheetahs) in the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament. He has played in 39 tests so far, scoring four tries.

Jenkins and Brits back in Vodacom Bulls pack

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Springboks, Schalk Brits and Jason Jenkins, are back in the Vodacom Bulls pack for their Vodacom Super Rugby clash against the Crusaders at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.

Brits has served a four week suspension and will start at hooker, while Jenkins is fit again following injury. Like Brits, he last played for the Vodacom Bulls in their 19-16 win over the Cell C Sharks at the end of March. They replace Jaco Visagie and Jannes Kirsten respectively, with Visagie dropping to the bench and Kirtsen moving into the number 7 jersey.

The duo’s return resulted in Vodacom Bulls Head Coach, Pote Human, making two changes in the pack, as well as two in the backline.

In a rotational change Ivan van Zyl drops out of the match 23 and will be replaced by André Warner at scrumhalf in the starting team, while Warner’s place on the bench is taken by Embrose Papier.

Burger Odendaal, who was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s clash against the Waratahs, has been declared fit and he will start at centre in place of Dylan Sage, who drops out of the match day squad altogether.

Odendaal and Kotze will man the midfield against the New Zealand outfit.

Human welcomed the return of his two Springboks in the pack.

“Schalk has been itching to play for the last couple of weeks and he will be very keen. Jason also recovered well and looked very sharp in training. Both are players of international standard, so it is great to have them back. Our pack will need to step up to the plate if we want to contain the Crusaders and these two are certainly capable of adding to that.”

Vodacom Bulls captain, Handré Pollard, said they are determined to end this phase of the tournament on a strong footing.

“We travel overseas after this and will only be back at Loftus next month, so this is a very important match for us. We need to do well here in order to maintain our log position and to get some momentum for the tour. Everyone realises what is at stake,” he said.

The squad (with Vodacom Super Rugby caps and points) is:

  1. Warrick Gelant (41, 70)
  2. Cornal Hendricks (34, 55)
  3. Johnny Kotze (40, 45)
  4. Burger Odendaal (50, 20)
  5. Rosko Specman (7, 20)
  6. Handré Pollard (c; 55, 573)
  7. André Warner (14, 15)
  8. Duane Vermeulen (118, 50)
  9. Jannes Kirsten (26, 10)
  10. Marco van Staden (19, 15)
  11. RG Snyman (42, 15)
  12. Jason Jenkins (46, 35)
  13. Trevor Nyakane (101, 15)
  14. Schalk Brits (69, 20)
  15. Lizo Gqoboka (47, 15)

 

Replacements:

  1. Jaco Visagie (40, 5)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (10, 5)
  3. Wiehahn Herbst (43, 0)
  4. Thembelani Bholi (36, 6)
  5. Paul Schoeman (28, 35)
  6. Embrose Papier (19, 5)
  7. Manie Libbok (12, 33),
  8. Divan Rossouw (20, 15)

Papier to make rare start for Vodacom Blue Bulls

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Embrose Papier will make a rare start for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in the SuperSport Rugby Challenge when they take on the Windhoek Draught Welwitschias at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Papier played in the competition three times last year before making his Springbok debut later in the year. He will replace André Warner, who was called into the Vodacom Bulls squad.

Coach Nollis Marais was forced in a number of changes to his starting team that came up short against the iSG Pumas last weekend, due to other call-ups.

Cornal Hendricks, Rosko Specman and Dylan Sage are all needed at the Vodacom Bulls, which will see a brand new backline in action.

Earll Dowrie will start at fullback, while Duncan Matthews moves from the back to wing and JT Jackson from flyhalf to centre. Cameron Hufke will make his senior debut on the wing and Theo Boshoff will start at 10. Erich Cronje is the only player who will wear the same jersey again.

Up front, Nic de Jager will make a first appearance at flank while Marais also included a fit-again Roelof Smit on the bench.

Vaughan Isaacs and Diego Appollis has also being called into action, with both playing off the bench.

The changes are par for the course, said Marais.

“There is always the danger of losing players to the Vodacom Bulls and we have to cope with that. We also get players back at times and I am sure Embrose will enjoy the time on the field with us. The Namibian side are well-coached and will be a tough opponent, but we need to make sure we get on the winning track, starting this weekend,” he said.

The team is: Earll Douwrie, Duncan Matthews, Erich Cronje, JT Jackson, Cameron Hufke, Fiela Boshoff, Embrose Papier, Muller Uys, Nic De Jager, Ruan Steenkamp (c), Aston Fortuin, Marius Verwey, Mornay Smith, Werner Fourie, Nqoba Mxoli. Replacements: Joe van Zyl, Madot Mabokela, Ruan Nortje, Roelof Smit, Theo Maree, Vaughan Isaacs, Diego Appollis

Hendricks, Specman back for Vodacom Bulls

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Wingers Cornal Hendricks and Rosko Specman have been recalled to Vodacom Bulls duties and will start against the Waratahs on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

Hendricks started in five of his six appearances in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition this year and last played against the Jaquares four weeks ago.

Specman, who has scored four tries in his six appearances, last featured against the Cell C Sharks in March.

The duo comes in for injured Jesse Kriel and Jade Stighling respectively, following the close 22-23 defeat to the DHL Stormers in Cape Town last week. Coach Pote Human moved Johnny Kotze to outside centre in place of Kriel, with Hendricks benefitting from this positional move.

Dylan Sage comes onto the bench in place of injured Divan Rossouw, while coach Pote Human also called André Warner into the match day squad. Sage started in three of his six appearances in the Vodacom Super Rugby season this year and last played against the Jaquares four weeks ago.

Warner won the last of his 13 caps against the Sunwolves last year and takes over from Embrose Papier on the bench.

Human left his pack unchanged.

The coach said the changes should not impact on the team’s performance.

“Both Rosko and Cornal played for us in more than half of our matches and are keen to get another run. I have no doubt we will see a good performance from both. Johnny has played outside centre for us before and will slot in with ease,” Human explained.

“We have a clear vision of what we want to achieve from this game,” he said.

“The Waratahs have a number of strike runners in their side and if they are allowed to prosper, you are in trouble. We will have to execute our plays and plans ruthlessly if we want to keep on the right side of the log,” Human said.

Vodacom Bulls captain, Handré Pollard, said they are pleased to be back at Loftus Versfeld.

“We have been a tad inconsistent at home, to be honest we need to deliver a performance that we and the Loftus faithful will be happy with.”

 

The team (with Vodacom Super Rugby caps and points) is:

15.Warrick Gelant (40, 65)

  1. Cornal Hendricks (33, 55)
  2. Johnny Kotze (39, 45)
  3. Burger Odendaal (50, 20)
  4. Rosko Specman (6, 20)
  5. Handré Pollard (c; 54, 560)
  6. Ivan van Zyl (26, 5)
  7. Duane Vermeulen (117, 45)
  8. Hanro Liebenberg (37, 20)
  9. Marco van Staden (18, 15)
  10. RG Snyman (41, 10)

 

  1. Jannes Kirsten (25, 10)
  2. Trevor Nyakane (100, 15)
  3. Jaco Visagie (39, 5)
  4. Lizo Gqoboka (46, 15)

 

Replacements:

  1. Johan Grobbelaar (3, 0)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (9, 0)
  3. Wiehan Herbst (42, 0)
  4. Thembelani Bholi (36, 5)
  5. Paul Schoeman (27, 35)
  6. André Warner (13, 15)
  7. Manie Libbok (12, 33)
  8. Dylan Sage (6, 0).

Vermeulen back for Vodacom Bulls as Nyakane hits 100

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Trevor Nyakane will play in his 100th Vodacom Super Rugby match on Saturday when the Vodacom Bulls take on the DHL Stormers in Cape Town in a match that will also see the return to action of Duane Vermeulen.

Nyakane, who played 42 times for the Toyota Cheetahs before moving to Pretoria and Vermeulen, who was rested against the Reds two weeks ago, will be the only centurions in the team to take on the home side at DHL Newlands. Nyakane will be the fifth South African prop to become a Vodacom Super Rugby centurion.

Midfielder Burger Odendaal will also achieve a milestone and will be running out for his 50th game for the Vodacom Bulls.

Vodacom Bulls Head Coach, Pote Human, welcomed back Vermeulen after his rest protocols and he slots back into the number 8 jersey, with Paul Schoeman, who started against the Reds, dropping to the bench in place of Roelof Smit. The only other change is on the bench as well, where Johan Grobbelaar replaces Corniel Els as back-up hooker.

Human said he hopes the squad can retain some consistency, following a bye weekend.

“The last time we had a bye, the result was not a good one, so we are pretty mindful of that. I don’t think complacency will be a factor, at least the guys did not show any in training. It has to do with the fact that we are travelling down to Cape Town. A clash with the home side down there is always a massive one for us.”

Human congratulated Nyakane on his achievement. “This shows his consistency. He plays at a high level week-in and week-out and this is well deserved,” said Human.

For Handré Pollard, who again takes the captaincy, the trip is important for more than one reason.

“We have been up and down and need to show that we can keep the momentum from last time out. The Stormers are coming off a defeat at home, so will be very keen to bounce back. They outplayed us last time we went down there and the guys are keen to rectify that result. Most importantly though is to show the effort is worth the hard work we put in. We have been our worst enemies at times this season.”

The match starts at 15h05.

The team (with Super caps and points) is:

  1. Warrick Gelant (39, 65)
  2. Johnny Kotze (38, 45)
  3. Jesse Kriel (68, 95)
  4. Burger Odendaal (49, 20)
  5. Jade Stighling (4, 10)
  6. Handré Pollard (53, 547)
  7. Ivan van Zyl (25, 0)
  8. Duane Vermeulen (116, 45)
  9. Hanro Liebenberg (36, 20)
  10. Marco van Staden (17, 15)
  11. RG Snyman (40, 10)
  12. Jannes Kirsten (24, 10)
  13. Trevor Nyakane (99, 15)
  14. Jaco Visagie (38, 5)
  15. Lizo Gqoboka (45, 15)

Replacements:

  1. Johan Grobbelaar (1, 0)
  2. Simphiwe Matanzima (8, 0)
  3. Wiehan Herbst (41, 0)
  4. Thembelani Bholi (35, 5)
  5. Paul Schoeman (26, 35)
  6. Embrose Papier (18, 5)
  7. Manie Libbok (11, 28)
  8. Divan Rossouw (18, 15)

Loftus to turn green in support of SANParks

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Loftus to turn green in support of SANParks

The Vodacom Bulls have teamed up with South African National Parks (SANParks) and Wild Card to create awareness about the extraordinary effort that SANParks rangers put in on a daily basis, as they protect our beautiful national parks around South Africa.  These unsung heroes will beng honoured at our next home Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Reds on Saturday, 13 April 2019.

 

The men from Pretoria will play in their green away strip, a design by our apparel sponsor PUMA that pays tribute to SANParks, and in so doing, will further drive home their commitment to what SANParks does as guardians of our heritage.

 

SANParks CEO Fundisile Mketeni says that support from one of the biggest sports teams in South Africa will go a long way in creating awareness for conservation and our men and women in green. “One of the biggest challenges to conservation in the 21st Century is wildlife crime and without the help of all people we will not halt the attack on our natural heritage. We are thankful to the Vodacom Bulls for joining the conservation effort to help conserve our natural heritage for future generations.”

 

Several SANParks rangers, or as we at Loftus Versfeld like to call them: superheroes, will be in attendance at the game and will also walk a lap of honour.

 

Vodacom Bulls captain, Handrè Pollard, stated, “This cause is close to the player’s hearts and that they will rise to occasion to honour our rangers who put their lives on the line to protect our heritage.”

 

“There is nothing better for South Africans to experience than to spend time at one of our many national parks and our enjoyment of this would not be possible without the excellent work that SANParks does.”

 

“We love playing in front of our supporters in the hallowed Vodacom Bulls jersey and we will have the privilege of facing the Reds with some of SANParks rangers in attendance which serves as extra motivation to play our best game.”

 

There will be activities for our loyal supporters to enjoy on the day and those that do attend are urged to wear their green Vodacom Bulls jersey, something green.

 

SANParks would not be able to do what they do without the generosity of the public with donations being able to be made on their website, www.sanparks.org, or by sending an SMS to 40401 at a cost of R20.

For Media Enquiries:
Ms Janine Raftopoulos
Head of Corporate Communications
South African National Parks (SANParks)
Tel: +27 (0)12 426 5170
Cell: +27(0)71 444 3121
Email: Janine.raftopoulos@sanparks.org

Or

Mr Shanil Mangaroo

Media & Communications

Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27 (0)12 420 0829
Cell: +27 (0) 82 856 9548

Email: shanilm@bluebull.co.za

 

 

Six Springboks back for Vodacom Bulls to face Reds

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Vodacom Bulls coach, Pote Human, named Springboks Warrick Gelant, Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Marco van Staden and RG Snyman in his starting team to play the Reds at Loftus Versfeld and made wholesale changes to the side that dropped a close result against the Jaguares last weekend.

Gelant returns from injury and takes over from Divan Rossouw at fullback, with the latter dropping to the bench, while Kriel and Pollard return after sitting out due to World Cup protocols. They replace Dylan Sage and Manie Libbok, with the flyhalf moving back to the bench.

Van Staden and Snyman are back in the team for the first time in this season’s Vodacom Super Rugby competition, having missed the opening part due to injury. They replace Ruan Steenkamp and Eli Snyman, who both picked up injuries against the Jaguares.

Human rotated Van Zyl and Papier again, with Van Zyl starting for the third time this season. Duane Vermeulen is rested due to Bok protocols, allowing Paul ‘Tier’ Schoeman a first start this season at no 8.
Hanro Liebenberg swops places with Jannes Kirsten, with the latter moving to lock, while a fit-again Jaco Visagie will start at hooker. Corniel Els reverts to the bench.

On the bench, Roelof Smit makes a first appearance for the season having recovered from injury, while there is also a potential first appearance for prop Wiehan Herbst.

The front rower played for the Cell C Sharks earlier in his career, before moving to Ulster, from where he joined the Vodacom Bulls. He played the last of his 40 VSR matches in 2014.

The team (with VSR caps and points) is: Warrick Gelant (38, 65), Johnny Kotze (37, 45), Jesse Kriel (67, 95), Burger Odendaal (47, 20), Jade Stighling (3, 5), Handré Pollard (c; 52, 535), Ivan van Zyl (24, 0), Paul Schoeman (25, 35), Hanro Liebenberg (35, 15), Marco van Staden (16, 10), RG Snyman (39, 10), Jannes Kirsten (23, 10), Trevor Nyakane (98, 15), Jaco Visagie (37, 5), Lizo Gqoboka (44, 10).

 

Replacements: Corniel Els (7, 0), Simphiwe Matanzima (7, 0), Wiehan Herbst (40, 0), Thembelani Bholi, (34, 5) Roelof Smit (25, 15), Embrose Papier (17, 5), Manie Libbok (11, 28), Divan Rossouw (17, 15).