Bulls Might Rest 7 Stars Against Stormers

Bulls Super 14 players Victor Matfield, Pierre Spies and Jaco van der Westhuyzen could be among many rested for the final game of the round-robin stage.

Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke is likely to pick a “B-team” to play the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday, and the home side has received positive news on the injury front.

After beating the Crusaders 40-35 at Loftus on Friday, the Bulls moved into an unassailable lead at the top of the standings with 47 points and, as a consequence, will want to rest key players in anticipation of their May 22 semifinal.

It’s good news for the second-placed Stormers after their 20-14 loss to the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.

The final pool fixture against the Bulls was always going to be crucial for the Stormers but, now that the Bulls are set to send a second-string unit to the match, the pressure on the home team has eased slightly.

However, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee did not feel it was his place to comment on the Bulls’ team selection.

“You’ll have to ask the Bulls about their team selection, we just have to go out and win on the weekend to get into a semifinal position and it doesn’t matter who comes down here to play against us,” Coetzee said.

“I don’t know how they are preparing for this match, but we are preparing for our biggest game of the season.”

Publicly, Coetzee was saying what was expected, but privately he must be a happy man.

Yesterday, flank and skipper Schalk Burger was cleared of any lasting damage to a dislocated finger, and wing Bryan Habana was declared fit to play on Saturday after bruising his ribs nine days ago.

More good news is that prop Wicus Blaauw has made a faster-than-expected recovery from a hand injury and will come into consideration for selection.

If the Stormers win they will secure a home semifinal by finishing second on the log.

The Bulls, meanwhile, are to include almost half of their victorious Vodacom Cup side in the match 22. Captain Victor Matfield confirmed that there would be changes with a message on the social networking site Twitter, but he didn’t say how many players would rotate.

But The Times understands that as many as seven new faces can be expected to be named in the pack from the side that beat the Crusaders, with Bees Roux, Bandise Maku and Jaco Engels making up the front row.

Bakkies Botha and either Flip van der Merwe or Fudge Mabeta should start in the second row, with Pedrie Wannenburg, Derick Kuun and Danie Rossouw making up a formidable loose trio.

Heini Adams will have a rare start at scrumhalf, with Vodacom Cup star Francois Brummer, or Jacques-Louis Potgieter, at flyhalf. If centre Jaco Pretorius is fit, he’ll partner Stephan Dippenaar in the midfield, with Potgieter at flyhalf. If not, Potgieter will wear the No12 shirt with Brummer at flyhalf.

John Mametsa will take over from the suspended Gerhard van den Heever, and Francois Hougaard might start again.

Jaco van der Westhuyzen is ready to start at fullback, but consideration is also being given to Tiger Mangweni.

With thanks to timesonline.co.za