Whingetahs

[Burgs]

Despica-Bull: Super 14 champions replace 14 players

May 13, 2010 - 7:28AM

PRETORIA: The worst fears of the NSW Waratahs has come to fruition following Bulls coach Frans Ludeke decision to make 14 changes to his team to play the Stormers this weekend.

The Waratahs are set to make a complaint to SANZAR in the next two days, but Ludeke insists that despite provoking his Australian and New Zealand counterparts, the Super 14 rugby champions were not compromising the competition.

Having already sewn up a home semi-final, Ludeke named a second-string side on Wednesday to play South African rival the Stormers on Saturday in the last round of the regular season.

The Stormers need only to beat the Bulls to secure second-place and a home semi-final next week in Cape Town.

CEO of NSW Waratahs, Jim l'Estrange, told the Herald on Tuesday, "If we think there is a cause to raise concern [with Bulls team selection] we will certainly be raising it with SANZAR," L'Estrange said. "It's not about sitting back and just letting this happen. You just want to make sure things are done correctly and also that the best is done by the competition.

"I certainly understand there will be a few players after a long and torrid season who have a few niggles. But one would think 13 [players] is a little overdone. Right now we are sitting, watching and waiting to see exactly what team comes out. And we hope it is the best team the Bulls can put forward.

"I would be incredibly surprised if the Bulls took the risk of resting so many players for what's an important game. I am sure it is not in the spirit of the rugby. I am not quite sure it is actually in the spirit of SANZAR. The spirit of SANZAR is to make sure you put the best team on you possibly can."

The selection will anger Australian and New Zealand sides who could overtake the Stormers in the race for second place and a home semi in the final standings.

Australian teams Waratahs and Brumbies and New Zealand sides the Hurricanes and Crusaders can all still finish second if the Stormers lose, and Ludeke said the Bulls were not conceding their match.

In the case of the NSW Waratahs, hosting a semi-final could makes as much as $600,000, more than cancelling out their annual loss of $459,248 for 2009.

"We have respect for the other sides in the competition but we have to run our own race," Ludeke told the Bulls website.

"I can assure you we are going to Newlands to be competitive.

"We had to rest some of our senior players, who have played all the matches this year and up to 960 minutes of rugby."

Springboks lock Bakkies Botha, who returned two weeks ago after nearly six months out injured, was named captain of a team which has two players making their Super 14 debuts.

"This isn't a B or C team," Botha said.

"We're playing the Stormers at Newlands and we feel as strong as any other Bulls team."

Wing Deon Helberg, a South Africa Sevens player, and flank Gerrit-Jan van Velze will play their first games at Super 14 level.

Fullback Tiger Mangweni and former Springboks center De Wet Barry are set for their first Super 14 appearances this season and there are a further four debutants on the replacements bench.

Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter is the only player retained from last weekend's victory over Crusaders.

The Stormers named their strongest lineup in a bid to stay in Cape Town for the semis.

Springboks wing Bryan Habana, fullback Joe Pietersen and prop Wicus Blaauw were all recalled after recovering from injuries.

Teams:

Bulls: Tiger Mangweni, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Stephan Dippenaar, De Wet Barry, Deon Helberg, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Heini Adams; Jaco Engels, Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip van der Merwe, Bakkies Botha (captain), Derick Kuun, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling, Fudge Mabeta, Okkie Kruger, Ruan Snyman, Francois Brummer, Stefan Watermeyer.

Stormers: Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Juan De Jongh, Bryan Habana, Peter Grant, Dewaldt Duvenage; Wicus Blaauw, Tiaan Liebenberg, Brok Harris, Adriaan Fondse, Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger (captain), Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen.

Replacements: Deon Fourie, Eusebio Guinazu, Anton Van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Ricky Januarie, Willem De Waal, Tim Whitheead.

AP with smh.com.au

Let the Bulls do what they want; Tahs need to worry about themselves

GREG GROWDEN

May 13, 2010

A load of bull has been uttered about the Bulls. So what if they rest up to 13 top-tier players for the final round match against the Stormers this weekend? That is the privilege of finishing well ahead of everyone else.

If they are able to rest 13 players, good on them, because it shows what incredible depth they possess. According to those in the know, the Bulls' B team is almost as good as the Bulls A team, and could well win – in Cape Town, anyway.

This is nothing new. During their golden period, the Crusaders regularly rested players, and it didn't do them any harm. It was all part of keeping their full squad motivated.

More importantly, those complaining don't have a leg to stand on. As Peter Garrett sang in his Midnight Oil days: "Short memory, must have a, short memory. If you read the history books you'll see the same things happen again and again. Short memory they've all got it." They certainly do.

In 2002 the Waratahs did something very similar. Sitting pretty in second place with just one round to go, then NSW coach Bob Dwyer rested a number of key players for the match against the Crusaders in Christchurch.

The tactic was a disaster. The Waratahs were belted 96-19 by the Crusaders, prompting the classic quote by Test hooker Brendan Cannon, who was demoted to the reserves. When Cannon took the field in the second half, he ran past the opposition bench and told them: "There's 64 points in me."

The next week, the Waratahs played a home semi-final against the Brumbies, and were again belted – this time 51-10.

But there is one enormous difference between the 2002 Waratahs and the 2010 Bulls. The Waratahs lacked depth and were not able up to the task. The Bulls, however, have an abundance of capable players who can perform at this level.

So, it would be wise for the Waratahs to stop being distracted by this guff. NSW have not yet qualified for the finals, so all the talk about how much money they may miss out on if they do not get a home semi-final is premature. It could prove distracting for the team during what may well be the most important week this season.

After all, the Waratahs could miss out on the finals altogether. They can't afford to rest one player, let alone 13. Privately, some NSW players are admitting they understand the Bulls' motives. They know first-hand the hard toil of the Super 14 tournament. They know rest periods are crucial in revitalising a team. You only have to see how each team looks forward to its one bye to realise that.

The Waratahs have suggested they are going to take the matter to SANZAR but what is the governing body going to do? Hit the Bulls with a feather duster? Any complaint would be filed in the "are you kidding?" basket. And so it should be.

[jazza93]

At first i thought this was a joke. But telling the bulls to throw a semi so the stormers and SARU get another 500k revenue from semi finals sounds like something the SARU would do. Was anyone else a little dissapointed with the Sharks performance last week?

[Darren]

Grumbles making sense ?!

[blueandblack]

whingetahs and whingebies

[Sheikh]

I need to have a shower or something. I agree with Growden! It feels dirty.

[zimeric]

Damn i hope the Stormers lose !! haha would be egg on everyones faces!

[James]

To be fair to the Bulls the second string team they've named would still beat the majority of teams in the competition. I'd like to see the Waratahs play them.

[robyn <3]

I see nothing wrong with it.

I suppose being SARU I wouldn't put it past them to try to get the extra home semi through this way, but if you think of it from the Bulls franchise point of view why risk Morne Steyn, etc when you could have them lovely and refreshed for the next week, while blooding some young SA treasures into S14? I would expect the Western Force to do the exact same thing as the Bulls, regardless of who would lose out on the table places, Australian or South African or Kiwi.

Maybe the Tahs should win some more games and stop crying.

[Sheikh]

That's an important point, Robyn. The Bulls not only have a good 1st string, but by blooding the youngsters they can see who's ready to make the step up.
(It's worked for us this season!)

[Burgs]

Another way to look at is that maybe the Bulls need to stop pinching better players from the other four SA catchments and wharehousing their own fringe players...

[Hoolly Doolly]

If the bulls were semi serious about winning this match you would expect to see at least half the rested players sitting on the bench for this.
Wont even bother staying up to watch this.

[TOCC]

still think its poor form, dont care what they reckon, its a farce for all other teams involved bar the stormers

[KenyaQuin]

Its their perogative..why risk key players for a nothing game..if it were the Force or the Reds would we think any different; or if you were the coach, would you do any different?

[welshrugbyfan]

The Tahs looked like a final winning team in their pyjamas tonight. Awesome commitment to tackling.

Canes were just beaten out of the game and never allowed into the game.

I take my hat off to their performence. At least one Aussie team got into the finals. Not that I care but for you Wallaby supporters it's important.

[Darren]

still think its poor form, dont care what they reckon, its a farce for all other teams involved bar the stormers

Bulls won't let them win - a Stomer win with a 4T BP will put Stormers in 2nd place and up against the Bulls again next week with a phychological advantage...