Serfontein boost for Bulls
The Bulls will use experience to try and take down the Golden Lions in their Absa Currie Cup encounter.
|||It is not a case of the Blue Bulls retreating back into their shell but the men from the capital will use experience to try and take down the Golden Lions in their Absa Currie Cup encounter tomorrow.
They have made minor but significant changes to their starting line-up and have roped in their big guns in an effort to ensure that they maintain the right balance between youthfulness and the calm heads it takes to win big games.
There is no doubt that tomorrow’s derby against the Lions at Loftus Versfeld will be the biggest test that this growing Bulls team will encounter this season and they have wisely deployed their Springboks Jan Serfontein and Dean Greyling to bolster their charge.
Serfontein’s flair on attack and resolute defence will undoubtedly add to the already impressive arsenal the team’s backline possesses.
Furthermore, Serfontein will finally be re-united with his schoolboy midfield partner Dries Swanepoel as they rekindle their glory days at Grey College.
“The first time we saw them they were playing for Grey College together and they formed an excellent partnership. Dries has been injured for a couple of seasons and I believe that there is something special in those two players. For this week I felt that we needed to give Jan a run and I know they will give us something special,” said Bulls coach Nollis Marais yesterday.
”I’m happy, continuity is a good thing but I think with Dean, Werner (Kruger) and Jan coming into the fray we will need their experience against a very experienced Lions pack.”
“I gave Wors (Greyling) the nod to start because of his experience ahead of Pierre Schoeman which was the most difficult decision I’ve had to make in the last five weeks. Wors knows that Saturday will be a big challenge, he’s up for it and he also had a good week scrumming in training.”
The fact that the Bulls and Lions are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the competition and are separated by a solitary point on the log means that this clash will go a long way in enhancing the title hopes of the eventual winner.
However, captain Lappies Labuschagne doesn’t believe beating the Lions will ensure the Bulls have a successful season.
“It isn’t everything. We’ve been gaining a lot of momentum since the season started and it would be great if we can beat them. We are focusing on a lot of small things we want to put in place so that when we progress to the latter stages of the competition everything is working like clockwork. The Lions have been playing some great rugby and are deservedly the No1 team on the log and we really need to play well this weekend if we want to beat them,” Labuschagne said.
Meanwhile, Blue Bulls Company will advertise for the Bulls Super Rugby head coach position starting tomorrow and BBC chief executive officer Barend van Graan said that they will cast their net wide to look for Frans Ludeke’s replacement.
Blue Bulls: Warrick Gelant, Travis Ismaiel, Dries Swanepoel, Jan Serfontein, Jamba Ulengo, Tian Schoeman, Francois Hougaard, Arno Botha, Lappies Labuschagne (capt), Roelof Smit, Marvin Orie, Jacques du Plessis, Marcel van der Merwe, Bandise Maku, Dean Greyling. Replacements: Jaco Visagie, Werner Kruger, RG Snyman, Deon Stegmann, Ivan van Zyl, Louis Fouché, Burger Odendaal.