Hougaard good to go
8 Feb 2010
Francois Hougaard has recovered from injury and is likely to start against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Friday.
The 21-year-old, who debuted for the Springboks against Italy in 2009, injured his knee in pre-season and it was initially feared that he would miss the opening match of their campaign.
However, Bulls team doctor Org Strauss confirmed to keo.co.za that he was ‘very optimistic’ about Hougaard’s participation.
‘We’ll make a final call after training this afternoon but I fully expect him to be ready for Friday,’ Strauss said.
Despite being a specialist scrumhalf, Hougaard is expected to start on the wing, where he performed well for the Bulls in 2009. He’ll be deployed there until Akona Ndungane returns from injury in early March, with Heini Adams providing cover for incumbent No 9 Fourie du Preez.
Elsewhere there is a selection poser for coach Frans Ludeke. Openside flank Deon Stegmann has performed consistently well for the Bulls in the last two seasons, but Derick Kuün’s reversion to his favoured position after a stint as a hooker has turned up the heat on Stegmann.
In an interview with keo.co.za on Monday, Bulls director of rugby Heyneke Meyer explained that the new breakdown law interpretations would necessitate that an openside flank now be required to play a greater role offensively, where in the past he was largely utilised in a defensive capacity.
Kuün is arguably the superior ball carrier and has become accustomed to mixing in the tight, which could strengthen his case for inclusion ahead of Stegmann. Whoever is selected will be tasked with outshining incumbent Springbok openside Heinrich Brussow – an arduous task in itself.
No 8 Pierre Spies, also recovered from a hamstring injury, and Pedrie Wannenberg (regular blindside flank Dewald Potgieter is sidelined until late March) should comprise the remainder of the loose trio.
However, while Meyer stressed that team selection was Ludeke’s domain, he explained that playing Kuün and Stegmann in tandem wasn’t impossible.
‘Derick is a pretty balanced flank in terms of his ability to carry the ball or play towards it, so he could play blindside,’ he told this website.
‘That said, playing the two of them together means you have one less lineout option, so Frans will have to weigh up the pros and cons if he decides to play Steggies and Derick together.’
It also remains to be seen who Ludeke prefers to partner Victor Matfield in the second row. Flip van der Merwe started the Bulls’ only warm-up match in the position, but it is expected that Danie Rossouw, injured for the aforementioned match, will line up alongside his Springbok team-mate.
Bulls (likely) - 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gerhard van den Heerver, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Derick Kuün, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
By Ryan Vrede
60 Comments
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8 Feb 2010, 18:48 pm
Botha is a great player in his prime and cannot be put under the same class as Bandiso, some good years off to say the truth. No doupt Bandiso has the talent but common. First he is still youmg in terms of a tight fiver and has a big problem with line troughing which is something you don’t need match practice with. Obviously the bulls see potential and is working on his weakness’(as they usually do before giving them such a big role and so also ensure the player doesn’t have a meltdown like Solly, Morne Steyn rings a bell anyone) why give a second rate a contract if you don’t feel he can play.
XhosaKid! Why don’t you go and ask the Stormers why they play Fijians and not play local kids and buy lions player when they have coloured outside centres who mind you has been picked for a springbok tour.
8 Feb 2010, 19:19 pm
‘Derick is a pretty balanced flank in terms of his ability to carry the ball or play towards it, so he could play blindside,’
But Meyer did you not advise him to fatten up and become a hooker just a few years ago because as you said he had no future at flank? Come now make up your mind?
8 Feb 2010, 19:21 pm
13 Jaco Pretorius … he is a weak link in that team, do the Bulls not have anything better than this never will be has been?
7 Pedrie Wannenburg … another has been, where is Potgieter? The Bulls will have to hope that they do not test P3 for drugs.
8 Feb 2010, 19:28 pm
and that team is also much paler than it was a season ago. Why can’t Mametsa play ahead of that scrummie Hougaard? Come on he has never let his team down and he waited all of these years for Habana to go.
8 Feb 2010, 19:34 pm
@RedLion: #54 the blue bulls care about winning & not about quotas.
8 Feb 2010, 19:40 pm
@RedLion: Potgeiter is injured
8 Feb 2010, 19:41 pm
@RedLion: would you then have Hougaard seconding for FdP? Or would you have him behind Adams for the no.9 spot?
8 Feb 2010, 19:45 pm
@byoboy: they can loan Hougaard to the WP, they lack a good scrummie and Hougie can then get game time … win win?
p.s note the Lions will never loan the Sharks a flyhlf, in fact we will loan them zero, zip, zilch.
8 Feb 2010, 19:52 pm
@RedLion: wtf loan Hougaard to wp are you crazy man.
The Sharks wouldn’t need a lions no.10 (got Meyer, Monty and Ruan when he’s back from injury) , especially not if its ER.
8 Feb 2010, 19:59 pm
@byoboy: Hey, just thinking out of the box.
p.s.
did you know that we loaned Heinke to the Sharks a few seasons ago for Super rugga when they sent an SOS for a prop to Ludeke. Well they are in the same boat this year with thier 10′s.
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