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Nine Bulls going for a hat-trick

Tue, 25 May 2010 23:07

The Stormers will appear in their first Super Rugby Final, against the Bulls at Soweto's Orlando Stadium on Saturday, making it a truly unique experience for 21 of the 22 players.

The only Stormers player to have appeared in a Super Rugby Final before is wing Bryan Habana - who helped the Bulls win the 2007 and 2009 Super 14 titles.

However, there are nine Bulls players who will be out to join a very small and prestigious club - those who can claim to have three Super Rugby winners' medals to their name.

Only two other teams have won the title more than twice - the seven-time Crusaders, who have a number of players with three or more championships to their credit, and the Blues.

There are seven years between the Blues' first Super 12 win in 1996 and their third, 2003, meaning very few, if any, of the original Blues were around for title No.3.

However, there are nine Bulls who will be aiming to complete a hat-trick of Super 14 championships in Soweto on Saturday.

The Bulls players in the starting XV in Soweto who have appeared in the franchise's two previous winning finals and will be going for their third title are: centre Wynand Olivier, flyhalf Morné Steyn (he was on the bench in 2007), scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, No.8 Pierre Spies, locks Victor Matfield (the captain in every Final) and Danie Rossouw (on bench in 2007 and 2009), as well as prop Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Those who will be on the replacements bench on Saturday, but also featured in the two previous finals, are: utility forward Derick Kuün (on bench in 2007 and started at hooker in 2009) and loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg (started in 2007 and on bench in 2009).

Only two players in the Bulls' starting XV on Saturday will play in their first Super Rugby Final - wings Gerhard van den Heever and Francois Hougaard. Four players who will be on the bench on Saturday will get their first taste of the Final - hooker Bandise Maku, prop Bees Roux, lock Flip van der Merwe and utility back Jacques-Louis Potgieter.

Even more impressive is that the Bulls' team for the Orlando Final features 12 players in the starting XV that were involved in the 61-17 demolition of the Chiefs in last year's Final.

Those back from the 2009 Final are: Fullback Zane Kirchner, centres Jaco Pretorius and Wynand Olivier, flyhalf Morné Steyn, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, No.8 Pierre Spies, flanks Dewald Potgieter and Deon Stegmann, locks Victor Matfield (as captain) and Danie Rossouw (he was on the bench in 2009), as well as props Werner Kruger and Gurthrö Steenkamp.

Two replacement players also featured in last year's Final: flank Derick Kuün (who started at hooker in 2009) and loose forward Pedrie Wannenburg.

Here's a look at the Bulls' teams that appeared in the two previous finals, compared to Saturday's team!

Bulls - 2007 Final: 15 Johan Roets, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JP Nel, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Wikus van Heerden, 6 Pedrie Wannenburg, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Engels, 17 Danie Thiart, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Heinie Adams, 21 Morné Steyn, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen

Bulls - 2009 Final: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Derick Kuün, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rayno Gerber, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Heini Adams, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marius Delport.

Bulls - 2010 Final: 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.

By Jan de Koning

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