Round One: Sharks v Bulls

[Dumbo]

Big match up in Bokland, the Sharks take on the Bulls in Durban.
Look forward to seeing this game as this could be a BIG game.
At this stage I’m favouring the Bulls... but you never know...

 

[Boggle]

Yeah you never know, I know warm up games shouldn't be taken too seriously but the cheetahs lost in durbs last week so the bulls might fall prey aswell.

 

[Groen_en_Goud]

I'm sure this will be a good battle. I don't think either team is going to run away with it. I am excited that the Super 14 is back, but after careful thought I think the Bulls will win it but by less than a converted try.

I hope the Sharks can prove me wrong.

 

[riders of the storm]

I'm going to tip the Sharks in this one, no Tony Brown anymore but they have Francois Steyn and Ruan Pienaar. Sharks in a tight one by 3. Wouldn't be surprised to see a few drop goals.

 

[BokMagic]

Most of the Sharks youngsters have had an outing in S14 last season, but I doubt whether they`ll be up to the physical challenge of the Bulls. There are a couple too many pensioners in the Sharks line-up, and not enough quality to challenge the Bulls in the line-outs.

The new scrum rule might be interesting, could leave the Bulls minus one of their main attacking platforms. Mind you, I`ll still tip the Bulls to win a tight one, by less than 7.

 

[Dumbo]

Any ideas out there about expected line ups?

 

[Juggernaut]

This undoubtedly could be the most brutal game of this round.

I expect two sets of forwards trying to tear each up.

 

[Dumbo]

Shareks line up:
Sharks squad v Bulls
Forwards: BJ Botha, Kees Lensing, Deon Carstens, Bismarck du Plessis, John Smit, Albert van den Berg/Dewald Senekal, Steven Sykes, Johann Muller, Jacques Botes, Keegan Daniel, AJ Venter, Warren Britz, Ryan Kankowski.
Backs: Ruan Pienaar, Rory Kockott, Butch James, Francois Steyn, Bradley Barritt, Waylon Murray, Adrian Jacobs, Cedric Mkhize, JP Pietersen and Percy Montgomery.

 

[BokMagic]

Probable Bulls line-up, considering warmup games, current form and injuries:

15- Johan Roets
14- Akona Ndungane
13- JP Nel
12- Wynand Olivier
11- Bryan Habana
10- Derick Hougaard
9- Fourie du Preez
8- Anton Leonard
7- Wikus van Heerden
6- Pedrie Wannenburg
5- Vic Matfield(capt)
4- Danie Rossouw
3- Danie Thiart
2- Gary Botha
1- Wessel Roux

There are a couple of early injuries in the front row- Guthro Steenkamp, Chilliboy Ralepelle and Rayno Gerber (ex-Framesby High, us Framesby boys know how to play rugger!)- that`s an entire front row.

Bakkies Botha is also still injured, expected back in about a month`s time only. Also injured in the pack- Pierre Spies, Tim Dlulane and Adriaan Fondse, a virtual Bakkies Botha clone at 4. Could be the best oppurtunity the Sharks get to upstage the Bulls, with their depth suspect in quite a few positions, most notably front and second row. Make no mistake, if that is the run-on team, it`s a pretty fearsome pack, but not much to fall back on from the bench. And it`s expected to be a brutal encounter up front.

That said, I still think the Bulls will sneak home in a tight, conservative, forward-dominated battle, by virtue of their line-out and the boot of Hougaard.

 

[Dumbo]

And the line up is...

BULLS:
15 Johan Roets
14 Akona Ndungane
13 JP Nel
12 Wynand Olivier
11 Bryan Habana
10 Derick Hougaard
9 Fourie du Preez
8 Anton Leonard
7 Wikus van Heerden
6 Pedrie Wannenburg
5 Victor Matfield, ©
4 Danie Rossouw
3 Danie Thiart
2 Gary Botha,
1 Wessel Roux
Reserves:
16 Derick Kn
17 Jaco Engels
18 Francois van Schouwenburg
19 Hilton Lobberts
20 Nicholas Eyre
21 Morn Steyn
22 Marius Delport.

The team for the Sharks, at this stage not confirmed... not a bad starting lineup for the Bulls... great backline and good halfs... some big names in the forwards (and a few I havn't heard much of though).

Should be a BIG game.

 

[riders of the storm]

Very strong looking Bulls side. Big, strong forwards for Hougaard and Du Preez to work off. If the backline can be fed some good, quick ball out wide to the likes of Habana and Ndungane, then they will be very dangerous. I still think this game will be dominated by the boot though, particularly the boot of Derrick Hougaard. It should be a very tight struggle, a heated battle in the forwards. I still stick by my prediction. Sharks by 3.

 

[Dumbo]

Agree with you that the game could be dominated by the boot but hope it's not... would be great to see the Bulls backline have a run.

I'm stucking with the Bulls

 

[riders of the storm]

Agree with you that the game could be dominated by the boot but hope it's not... would be great to see the Bulls backline have a run.

I'm stucking with the Bulls
[/b]

Looks like I'm the only one tipping the Sharkies

 

[phoenix]

Im gonna go sharks by 5. I think their backline looks exciting with Pietersen, Pienaar & co, so i just hope that they get some ball.

 

[DNAPlay]

Probable Bulls line-up, considering warmup games, current form and injuries:

15- Johan Roets
14- Akona Ndungane
13- JP Nel
12- Wynand Olivier
11- Bryan Habana
10- Derick Hougaard
9- Fourie du Preez
8- Anton Leonard
7- Wikus van Heerden
6- Pedrie Wannenburg
5- Vic Matfield(capt)
4- Danie Rossouw
3- Danie Thiart
2- Gary Botha
1- Wessel Roux

There are a couple of early injuries in the front row- Guthro Steenkamp, Chilliboy Ralepelle and Rayno Gerber (ex-Framesby High, us Framesby boys know how to play rugger!)- that`s an entire front row.

Bakkies Botha is also still injured, expected back in about a month`s time only. Also injured in the pack- Pierre Spies, Tim Dlulane and Adriaan Fondse, a virtual Bakkies Botha clone at 4. Could be the best oppurtunity the Sharks get to upstage the Bulls, with their depth suspect in quite a few positions, most notably front and second row. Make no mistake, if that is the run-on team, it`s a pretty fearsome pack, but not much to fall back on from the bench. And it`s expected to be a brutal encounter up front.

That said, I still think the Bulls will sneak home in a tight, conservative, forward-dominated battle, by virtue of their line-out and the boot of Hougaard.
[/b]

Hey BokMagic

I'll never forget playing in a festival up at Union High in '98, when Rayno was playing 8th man for Framesby. Rayno had obviously built up quite a reputation for himself amongst the Eastern Cape schools, but was an unknown quantity for outsiders. Framesby took on a Cape Town school named Settlers, and Rayno scored about 4 tries, one of them when he ran through about 6 players aka Jonah Lomu '95 World Cup. Framesby won the match by about 70 points, and when I was chatting to some of the very bruised Settlers blokes afterwards, they were moaning at how Framesby allow post-matrics to play, namely Rayno. They got the shock of their lives when I told them he was still only 16 and in Std 9. He was bloody awesome. That side also contained former Lions centre Rudi Coetzee, who played with me at EP Southerns. He's about 6'6 and a good head or two taller than me, and I'll never forget meeting him and asking him what position he played, and being shocked to hear he was a centre. He asked me the same and I sheepishly replied flank, while in actual fact I was lock.

Both are yet to reach the heights they achieved during their school days unfortunately, but man, were they bloody good in those days.

 

[Bull]

Hallo mense

This is going to be a huge game, maybe the biggest of the weekend. It'll be very close almost to close to call but I'll go for the men in blue by about 5.

I hope Anton Leonard and Wikus van Heerden takes charge to lead the pack. I also wish Habana can find his true form this year again.

 

[Bull]

Oh man the Bulls played ****. Well done to the Sharks they deserved the win, they used their chances better.

It was a very poor game with far too many mistakes and both teams being to over eager.

 

[THE CHIROPRACTOR101]

first rounde jitters huh...for the first round though you gotta amit there is some very solid competition developing..who knows this could be one of the better super tournaments..previous 2 have been borefests...well done sharkies

 

[Groen_en_Goud]

Ok, the mighty Sharks won but I'm not impressed. <_< The Sharks will need to improve if they are to have a crack at the finals. I thought the crowd figure of 33,572 was poor. I thought for this match up it would have been higher.

 

[BokMagic]

Happy that the Sharks won, although it obviously messed up my tipping score!

But what a dreadful game indeed, so many handling errors and aimless KICKING UP THE PARK! Why is this sickness in SA rugby still so prominent? And this was supposed to be a showpiece match for SA rugby.
Very happy to hear the final whistle, it put everyone out of their misery.

Hopefully, both teams can now move forward and away from the derby mentality, and play some decent rugger, like it`s meant to be played.