Vermeulen fired up as he prepares to lead Bulls against former team

While the Bulls know they will receive a typically fiery reception when their aircraft touches down in Cape Town, their talismanic captain Duane Vermeulen is apparently in a particularly combative mood ahead of their crunch Currie Cup opener against Western Province at Newlands on Saturday.

The Springbok colossus – man of the match in the 2019 World Cup final – played in the blue-and-white hoops from 2009 to 2015 but was strangely not wanted by the Stormers when he returned to South Africa in late 2018.

Without suggesting Vermeulen has his mind on revenge, he takes immense pride in his performances and will want to show his former team and his many Springbok colleagues playing for Western Province that he is still a major force. As if his considerable performances so far this season have not already proven that.

“I think Duane feels the best he has for a long time. He seems to have had added energy this week,” Bulls coach Jake White said on Thursdsy.

“He knows Newlands and the Western Province players well and it’s the most fired-up I’ve seen him for a long time. His family is still down in Cape Town – his kids are at school there – and he lives in the hotel at Loftus and isn’t commuting, so it can’t be easy for him.

“But he’s played 80 minutes after 80 minutes, and he gives you the full 80 minutes every time, so there are no questions around his commitment and the team sees just how committed he is.

“Duane has been waiting a long time for this game. There are quite a few Springboks in the Western Province team and he really wants to play well against them.”

White, for all his baiting and chirping of the Bulls’ greatest rivals, knows that Western Province will also be fully primed for action, especially after they were hammered 39-6 in 64 minutes at Loftus Versfeld at the end of last month.

“Western Province have had two weeks to prepare for this game and they are a very strong side, a fantastic side with settled coaches,” White said.

“Their World Cup winning captain (Siya Kolisi) is back and they have consistently been a form team in South African rugby. Plus they have an incredible record against the Bulls – we haven’t won there since 2009 – so there’s no doubt they’re going to be up for it.

“We beat them convincingly up here and there’s no doubt that will drive them. They’re playing at home, and it could be the last time they play the Bulls at Newlands with all its history and memories, so they will have all the energy they need.

“We are going to need to be as good as we’ve been all year in our best games to give ourselves the best opportunity of winning.”

Johan Grobbelaar returns to the Bulls pack and will start at hooker in the only change to their starting line-up announced on Thursday.

Bulls team: David Kriel, Travis Ismaiel, Stedman Gans, Cornal Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Chris Smith, Ivan van Zyl, Duane Vermeulen (c), Arno Botha, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Trevor Nyakane, Johan Grobbelaar, Jacques van Rooyen.

Bench: Corniel Els, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marcel van der Merwe, Sintu Manjezi, Nizaam Carr, Embrose Papier, Clinton Swart, Marco Jansen van Vuren.

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