Revence = Revenge

Luckily you/fans/people on this blog don`t decide if the Bulls will win or loose this weekend. The players themselves make that call. So a few over excited/arrogant supporters don’t bother me at all. The Bulls stay humble and down to earth , just as Spies has said…. And they are looking forward for revence.

But I silently believe the Bulls will thrash them this weekend…

15. Stefan Terblanche
14. Odwa Ndungane
13. Adi Jacobs
12. Riaan Swanepoel
11. JP Pietersen
10. Andy B Goode
9. Ruan Pienaar

8. Ryan Kankowski
7. Willem Alberts
6. Jacques Botes
5. Johann Muller
4. Steven Sykes
3. John Smit
2. Bismarck Du Plessis
1. Beast Mtatawira

16. Craig Burden
17. Jannie Kannie Scrumnie
18. Al Hargreaves
19. Jean Deysel
20. Keegan Daniel
21. Rory Kockott
22. Waylon Murray

On the other flank Derick Kuun is retained ahead of Deon Stegmann. “This is in accordance with our squad system and the agreement with players,” said Bulls coach Frans Ludeke at the team announcement on Wednesday.

“Every one of the players has been playing good rugby. The squad system is working well and all the players understand it.”

Ludeke has selected Stegmann and another loose forward, Pedrie Wannenburg, on the bench. He views the breakdown play of the Highlanders as one of their strong points for which he has made provision with the inclusion of the two additional loose forwards in a bench that boasts five forwards.

Prop Bees Roux was originally selected as one of the replacements but cut his eye against the scrumming machine on Wednesday morning. He is replaced on the bench by Rossouw de Klerk, who moves up from the Vodacom Cup side.

The versatility of wing Francois Hougaard who can cover at scrumhalf and the two backs on the bench, Jacques-Louis Potgieter and Jaco van der Westhuyzen who can cover the positions of flyhalf and centre in the case of Potgieter and fullback and flyhalf in the case of Van der Westhuyzen has made more backs on the bench an unnecessary luxury.

Springbok scrumhalf Heini Adams will therefore play for the Vodacom Blue Bulls in what could be a crunch match against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The Bulls team is: Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Stephan Dippenaar, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Derick Kuun, Victor Matfield (capt.), Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Grthro Steenkamp.

Substitutes: Bandise Maku, Rossouw de Klerk, Flip van der Merwe, Deon Stegmann, Pedrie Wannenburg, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jaco van der Westhuyzen.

The reason is simple. Last year, in Dunedin, the Bulls arrived full of confidence after dismantling the Hurricanes in Wellington a week earlier, and met a physical and intense Highlanders side that hit them hard. The Bulls lost 36-12 that day, and Spies remembers it well.

So much so that much of the team talk this week is about not letting the standards slip, and making sure a repeat of last year’s performance doesn’t happen again, especially with the Highlanders sure to come out firing to make up for their poor performance in Cape Town.

“We have to make up for last year,” Spies said, “In Dunedin; they really came at us last year and gave us a good beating. This year we will take some aspects out of the Stormers game and their other two games and concentrate on making sure we play our best rugby this week.

“The Stormers played really well against them, but we expect the Highlanders to be a lot better this week once they get to Loftus.” Spies admits while it is nice to be on top of the log after four rounds, there are still a number of weeks ahead in the competition, with the Bulls still not close to where they want to be in this competition.

“We’ve had a good three weeks, but technically we can improve a lot, especially in the standards we want to reach as a team. We set very high standards for ourselves and while the results have been good for us so far, we want to attain the standards we set for ourselves,” he explained.

“The fact that we are conceding so many points is not a good sign for us; luckily we have scored a lot as well. It is definitely something we’re working on – it doesn’t help to score fifty but to let in so many on the other side. It is a focus point for us, to tighten up the defence but to continue scoring on attack.”

As for the injury, Spies smiles when he says he is “itching to play again” but concedes there is a bigger picture at play.

“Any rest is always good in a tough competition like this and for me the break came at a very good time. I’m really itching to get onto the field again and can’t wait,” he adds.

“It’s nice that we’re still on top, but it can change so quickly, so we need to keep out momentum and ensure we win our home games while we are here to give ourselves that advantage. Anything we can do to make the team win is all that matters.”