Bruised Bulls 'ready' for Final
Tue, 25 May 2010 15:38
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, in making only one change to his side for the Super 14 Final against the Stormers at Orlando Stadium on Saturday, named all the players who missed training on Monday and Tuesday.
Gerhard van den Heever, who has completed his two-match suspension for a dangerous tackle against the Crusaders in Week 13, returns on the wing in place of veteran Jaco van der Westhuyzen - who drops to the replacement bench in place of Stephan Dippenaar.
The most serious of the Bulls' injury concerns is veteran lock Danie Rossouw, who took a knock to his neck in the 39-24 demolition of the Crusaders in the semifinal at the same venue last Saturday.
Rossouw and flank Dewald Potgieter (thigh injury) are the only players who didn't train on Tuesday.
Wing Francois Hougaard, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, centre Wynand Olivier and utility Jaco Pretorius - who were on the sidelines at training on Monday - all took part in Tuesday's session.
"Everybody [who trained] came through well," Ludeke told rugby365.com on Tuesday.
The Bulls coach said that although not everybody trained on Tuesday, he is confident they will all be fit and ready to go on Saturday.
"We will gain nothing by pushing them in training, when they can rest up and be fresh for the Final," Ludeke said, in explaining why Rossouw and Potgieter did not train in Tuesday.
"They just took a few knocks," Ludeke told rugby365.com, adding: "We don't want to risk the player getting a knock in the same place and then being ruled out of the Final. It is just some bruising."
Ludeke also opted for a five-forwards-two-backs bench - as he did in the semifinal against the Crusaders.
This is possible because of the versatility of backs like Jacques-Louis Potgieter, who covers at flyhalf and centre, and Van der Westhuyzen, who can play anywhere in the backline except scrumhalf.
Hougaard will take over at scrumhalf if Du Preez is injured.
The Bulls will not train at the Orlando Stadium this week, as they did before last week's seminal.
Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Bees Roux, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 21 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 22 Pedrie Wannenburg.
Date: Saturday, May 29
Venue: Orlando Stadium, Soweto
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert
Assistant referees: Cobus Wessels, Christie du Preez
Reserve referee: Mark Lawrence
TMO: Shaun Veldsman
By Jan de Koning
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