In a nutshell: Bulls and Cheetahs Super Rugby squads

THE Vodacom Bulls and the Toyota Cheetahs will face each other in their first warm-up match for the Super Rugby season on January 24 in Polokwane.

These two teams will meet again throughout the Super Rugby tournament and it is only fitting that their last clash will take place in the final round before the play-offs on June 13.

Both the Toyota Cheetahs and Vodacom Bulls have aqcuired new players and with several reliable players out due to injury.

Review takes a look at the Super Rugby moves and the provisional squads of both teams.

Vodacom Bulls:

The Vodacom Bulls will gain three former Toyota Cheetahs players, including skipper Adriaan Strauss, as well as Jamba Ulengo from the Blitzbokke but will also bid farewell to stalwart Frik Kirsten and rising stars Bongi Mbonambi and Clayton Blommetjies.

With big names such as Victor Matfield, Flip van der Merwe, Pierre Spies, Deon Stegman and wunderkind Handré Pollard, this year will be a big year for the team.

Players in:

• Adriaan Strauss from the Toyota Cheetahs;

• Jamba Ulengo from the South African sevens team;

• Pieter Labuschagné from the Toyota Cheetahs, and

• Trevor Nyakane from the Toyota Cheetahs.

Players out:

• Frik Kirsten retired;

• Bongi Mbonambi to the DHL Stormers;

• Clayton Blommetjies to the Toyota Cheetahs;

• David Bulbring to the Eastern Province Kings;

• Waylon Murray to the Cell C Sharks;

• Sampie Mastriet to the Emirates Lions;

• Paul Willemse to Grenoble;

• Dewald Potgieter returned to Yamaha Júbilo;

• Wimpie van der Walt returned to NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes;

• Jono Ross to France Stade Français;

• Louis Fouché to Japan Ricoh Black Rams, and

• Wiaan Liebenberg was released.

Provisional squad:

Dean Greyling, Werner Kruger, Morné Mellett, Trevor Nyakane, Pierre Schoeman, Basil Short, Marcel van der Merwe, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Hencus van Wyk, Bandise Maku, Adriaan Strauss, Arno van Wyk, Callie Visagie, Jaco Visagie, Grant Hattingh, Irné Herbst, Nico Janse van Rensburg, Jason Jenkins, Victor Matfield, Marvin Orie, RG Snyman, Flip van der Merwe, Arno Botha, Jacques du Plessis, Jacques Engelbrecht, Hanro Liebenberg, Pieter Labuschagné, Roelof Smit, Pierre Spies, Deon Stegmann, Nardus van der Walt, Carlo Engelbrecht, Francois Hougaard, Rudy Paige, Ivan van Zyl, Piet van Zyl, Kobus Marais, Handré Pollard, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Tian Schoeman, Ulrich Beyers, JJ Engelbrecht, Dan Kriel, Burger Odendaal, Jan Serfontein, William Small-Smith, Dries Swanepoel, Bjorn Basson, Travis Ismaiel, Akona Ndungane, Jamba Ulengo, Warrick Gelant, Jesse Kriel, Duncan Matthews, Jürgen Visser.

 

Toyota Cheetahs:

The Toyota Cheetahs will have a challenging Super Rugby season after losing three big players in Trevor Nyakane, Pieter Labuschagné and skipper Ardriaan Strauss to the Vadacom Bulls. However, the team will be gaining the energetic Willie Britz and accurate Joe Pietersen to boost their game.

Players in:

• Clayton Blommetjies from the Vodacom Bulls;

• Willie Britz from the Emirates Lions;

• JW Jonker from the Emirates Lions;

• Coenie van Wyk from the Emirates Lions;

• Willie du Plessis from the Emirates Lions;

• Devin Oosthuizen from Eastern Province Kings;

• Sergeal Petersen from Eastern Province Kings;

• Joe Pietersen from Biarritz, and

• JP du Plessis from Montpellier.

Players out:

• Trevor Nyakane to the Vodacom Bulls;

• Adriaan Strauss to the Vodacom Bulls;

• Pieter Labuschagne to the Vodacom Bulls;

• Howard Mnisi to the Emirates Lions;

• Gouws Prinsloo to the GWK Griquas;

• Kevin Luiters to Eastern Province Kings;

• Rossouw de Klerk to Glasgow Warriors;

• Nick Schonert to Worcester Warriors;

• Andries Ferreira to Zebre;

• Rynaard Landman to Newport Gwent Dragons;

• Philip van der Walt to Biarritz;

• Johan Goosen to France Racing Métro;

• Riaan Smit to Oyonnax;

• Rocco Jansen to GWK Griquas;

• Hennie Daniller to Zebre;

• Hercú Liebenberg was released, and

• Waltie Vermeulen retired.

Provisional squad:

Danie Mienie, Caylib Oosthuizen, Coenie Oosthuizen, BG Uys, Ewald van der Westhuizen, Maks van Dyk, Ryno Barnes, Martin Bezuidenhout, Stephan Coetzee, Torsten van Jaarsveld, Jonathan Adendorf, Loodewyk de Jager, Armandt Koster, Hilton Lobberts, Boela Serfontein, Francois Uys, Carl Wegner, Willie Britz, Heinrich Brüssow, Tienie Burger, Jean Cook, Carel Greeff, Teboho Mohojé, Devin Oosthuizen, Johannes Prinsloo, Nicky Steyn, Tian Meyer, Sarel Pretorius, Shaun Venter, Francois Brummer, Willie du Plessis, Joe Pietersen, Elgar Watts, JP du Plessis, Joubert Engelbrecht, JW Jonker, Johann Sadie, Michael van der Spuy, Francois Venter, Rayno Benjamin, Cornal Hendricks, Sergeal Petersen, Raymond Rhule, Clayton Blommetjies, Willie le Roux, Coenie van Wyk.