Super 14 Face Off
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Bryan Habana is no stranger to Super 14 victory
The stars have aligned and South Africa’s global rugby dominance sees two domestic teams competing for the ultimate honour in Super Rugby – with history heavily favouring one team.
History and stats make the Vodacom Bulls favourites to win their third Vodacom Super Rugby title in four years, when they host the Vodacom Stormers in the final of the 2010 tournament at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto at 5pm on Saturday.
Among the distinctions held by the Vodacom Bulls, is the fact that the defending champions will be aiming to become the third Super Rugby franchise to win back-to-back titles after claiming their second Super Rugby trophy last season, following their 61-17 victory over the Chiefs in Pretoria. Only the Crusaders (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2005, 2006) and Blues (1996, 1997) have ever won consecutive competitions.
Other factors in their favour are:
• This is the Bulls’ third Super 14 final in four years – the Stormers are appearing in their first.
• Nine Bulls players – Wynand Olivier, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pedrie Wannenburg, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Derick Kuün, Gurthrö Steenkamp and Pierre Spies – will be playing in their third Super 14 final.
• Zane Kirchner, Jaco Pretorius, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Werner Kruger and Chiliboy Ralepelle represented the Pretoria franchise during last year’s final.
• Jaco van der Westhuizen and Gary Botha were part of the successful Bulls squad that competed in the 2007 Super 14 final at the Absa Stadium in Durban.
• Francois Hougaard and Gerhard van den Heever are the only Vodacom Bulls players selected in their starting line up who have not played in a Vodacom Super 14 final.
• The only Stormers to have appeared in a major final are Bryan Habana, twice with the Bulls in Super 14, and with Stormers teammates Schalk Burger and Jaque Fourie in a Rugby World Cup final.
• The Bulls have won five of the last six meetings between the two teams – the exception being the final round meeting two weeks ago when the Bulls fielded what was essentially a “B” team.
Other statistics to note are:
• Matfield will lead the Bulls for a record 60th time. This means he could join former Crusaders captain Todd Blackadder, and Richie McCaw, as one of the most successful Super Rugby captains of all time by leading a team to the title on three occasions, should the Bulls win.
• The Stormers have the best defensive record in the competition, conceding only 17 tries.
• The Bulls have the best attacking record in the competition, having scored 50 tries.
• The Stormers have the best disciplinary record in the competition having received only one yellow card.
• The defending champions have set a new South African record for the most points scored in a Super Rugby competition.
• This will be the sixth occasion in the history of Super Rugby where a final will be contested in a local derby.
• It is the second time two South African franchises compete in a Super Rugby final.
• New Zealand sides have battled it out in four other finales. Two Australian teams have never competed in the final.
• This will be only the third occasion on which a New Zealand team has not competed for the coveted trophy.
• SARU referee Craig Joubert will handle his 50th Super Rugby game.
The teams are:
Vodacom Bulls – Zane Kirchner, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (c), Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Gurthrö Steenkamp. Reserves: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuün, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Pedrie Wannenburg. Coach: Frans Ludeke.
Vodacom Stormers – Joe Pietersen, Gio Aplon, Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana, Peter Grant, Dewald Duvenhage, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger (c), Andries Bekker, Adriaan Fondse, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, Wikus Blaauw. Reserves: Deon Fourie, JC Kritzinger, Anton van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Ricky Januarie, Willem de Waal, Tim Whitehead. Coach: Allister Coetzee.
With thanks to SARU.
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
Loading ...
.PNG){kind=icon}
