The Bulls - Super 14 Squad reviewed

The Bulls possess a useful side but the question mark remains around Morne Steyns ability to run the flyhalf channel against the biggest and best in world rugby.

Heini Adams, Bakkies Botha, Jacques Burger, Marius Delport, Fourie du Preez, Jaco Engels, Burton Francis, Rayno Gerber, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Wayne Julies, Zane Kirchner, Werner Kruger, Derick Kuün, Bandise Maku, Tiger Mangweni, Victor Matfield, Akona Ndungane, JP Nel, Wynand Olivier, Dewald Potgieter, Jaco Pretorius, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Danie Rossouw, Pierre Spies, Gürthro Steenkamp, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Deon Stegmann, Morné Steyn, Pedrie Wannenburg.

Apart from two dominant locks (Matfield and Botha) there seems to be a lack of "bite" and aggression amongst the forwards. The traditional fearsome Bulls pack seems to be missing something this year???

All eyes are going to be on Brian Habana and Chilliboy Ralepelle who have plenty to prove in 2009

Losing patience

I hate to say it but South African rugby fans are losing patience with the performances of the Bok side.

Before anyone starts on the race card - shut it - I'm a PDV fan, but something needs to change in the way the Boks are approaching this tour. Forget blaming the referees - this tour had the hallmark of a disinterested squad from before they left the SA shores.


You make controversial selections like Rose and Ralepele and you bring an exciting prospect like Nokwe through but don't utilise them against the tours weakest opposition?

Makes no sense to me.

I don't need to be told that Ruan Pienaar is a good rugby player - I've seen him play the game at the top level for the last three years and do so well. I DO however need to know that we have a 2nd or 3rd choice flyhalf (depending on what happens with Butch James) - whether it is Peter Grant, Frans Steyn or Earl Rose.

I DO need to know that Chilliboy is going to be the number two hooker and that Pierre Spies is the better choice number 8 than Ryan Kankowski.




Whether the players are interested or not after a long season of rugby is up for debate - especially when you look at the injuries being clocked up. Guthro Steenkamp, Fourie Du Preez and Bismarck Du Plessis are now all carrying knocks.

The players all have long hard Super 14 and Tri-Nations campaigns ahead of them, and if they (players and management) are going to approach this tour in what appears to be a disinterested frame of mind, then maybe the tour wasn't worth doing in the first place?

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Planning?

I know that Keo has already touched on the subject so I don't want to replicate too many of their arguments, but I sometimes have to query the lack of planning that goes into the management and selection of players for the year end tour.

This year end tour has pitted the South African team against 5-Nations champions Wales, a very weak Scotland and then a so-so English side.

The 'A' team played against Wales and achieved a battling 20-15 win - the narrowness of which I think has spooked SA coach Pieter Devilliers not to experiment in the Scotland game this weekend.

That means that guys like Earl Rose, Jongi Nokwe and Chilliboy Ralelepele have basically gone on the tour as baggage boys. Yeah they might learn a bit on the tour, but they are not going to get game time, which the tour was actually supposed to provide them with.

Ralepele in particular needs to run on at least once.

Nokwe - we know he is a classy winger and he certainly wouldn't weaken the Bok side in a match up against a relatively weak Scotland.

Rose - well if he was picked as such a controversial selection - then why is he not going to get the game time after being thrust into the spotlight?