[Super Rugby 2017] South African Teams - Pre-Season

[TRF_heineken]

The Bulls have won their second warm-up match against the Chiefs earlier today. Winning the game 28-7, of which one of the Bulls tries was a penalty try.

This was also the first match of their tour to NZ and Aus for the warm-ups.

They will feature this weekend in the 10's tournament.

 

[saulan]

Stormers beat the Lions this weekend with a 57-40 scoreline. A couple of concerns have risen for me already. Firstly as a Stormers supporter we seem a lot more leaky than we have been previously. I know we still won this game, but I feel this is an area we have gone downhill with over the year. Secondly, more injuries! We haven't even started the season but we are already down 2 flankers (neither really in contention for starting really) our starting wing in Zas who is out for a year with a broken leg and De Jongh who has done his knee in for 12 weeks. We are fine in the centres I think, but am concerned about our outside backs. I know we just took on Basson which will be great for the average height of the back three and our aerial game, but concerned with our depth outside of our starters.

 

[SomeOke]

Stormers beat the Lions this weekend with a 57-40 scoreline. A couple of concerns have risen for me already. Firstly as a Stormers supporter we seem a lot more leaky than we have been previously. I know we still won this game, but I feel this is an area we have gone downhill with over the year. Secondly, more injuries! We haven't even started the season but we are already down 2 flankers (neither really in contention for starting really) our starting wing in Zas who is out for a year with a broken leg and De Jongh who has done his knee in for 12 weeks. We are fine in the centres I think, but am concerned about our outside backs. I know we just took on Basson which will be great for the average height of the back three and our aerial game, but concerned with our depth outside of our starters.

Honestly De Jongh getting injured is fine, he's a trooper but it's probably time we gave someone new a chance anyway. The only question is who we play, both Dan du Plessis and Kriel are 12's as far as I know. EW Viljoen maybe?

As for outside backs losing Zas is definitely a loss, our best OB last year in my opinion. That said we are covered for now, we have SP Marais and Joe Pietersen in at fullback cover so we can always shift Kolbe to the wing. In any case Leyds and Sentala are a decent start.

 

[TRF_heineken]

The Bulls have announced their 46-man Super Rugby squad for 2017:

Backs

Ulrich Beyers, Warrick Gelant, Jesse Kriel, Travis Ismaiel, Luther Obi, Jamba Ulengo, Jade Stighling, Duncan Matthews, Kefentse Mahlo, Sibahle Maxwane, Johnny Kotze, Dries Swanepoel, Burger Odendaal, JT Jackson, Jan Serfontein, Francois Brummer, Tony Jantjies, Tian Schoeman, Handre Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Piet van Zyl, Rudy Paige, Andre Warner

Forwards

Hanro Liebenberg, Arno Botha, Nick de Jager, Renaldo Bothma, Jannes Kirsten, Jacques Potgieter, Roelof Smit, Shaun Adendorff, Ruan Steenkamp, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Jason Jenkins, Trevor Nyakane, Conraad van Vuuren, John-Roy Jenkinson, Martin Dreyer, Jacobie Adriaanse, Pierre Schoeman, Lizo Gqoboko, Adriaan Strauss, Edgar Marutlulle, Corniel Els, Jaco Visagie

Players in: Johnny Kotze (Stormers), Jacques Potgieter (Sharks), Conraad van Vuuren (Free State).

Players out: SP Marais, Bjorn Basson, Dan Kriel (all Stormers), Lappies Labuschagne, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh (all Japan), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Marcel van der Merwe (both France), Werner Kruger (Wales), Callie Visagie, Bandise Maku (retired)

Now that squad has me excited, and what I like about the squad is the balance where the players will complement each other. Just look at our loose forward group, we finally have a set of fetchers in Roelof Smit, Nic De Jager and Ruan Steenkamp. Then we have good blindside flanker that can do the donkey work like Jannes Kirsten and Jacques Potgieter, and then we have some ball carriers like Renaldo Bothma and Shaun Adendorff and Hanro Liebenberg.

I'm now very excited.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Sharks’ 45-man Super Rugby squad

Forwards: Beast Mtawarira, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Coenie Oosthuizen, Daniel du Preez, Etienne Oosthuizen, Franco Marais, Francois Kleinhans, Hyron Andrews, Jacques Vermeulen, Jean Deysel, Jean Droste, Jean-Luc du Preez, John-Hubert Meyer, Juan Schoeman, Keegan Daniel, Khaya Majola, Lourens Adriaanse, Philip van der Walt, Ruan Botha, Stephan Coetzee, Stephan Lewies, Tera Mtembu, Thomas du Toit

Backs: Andre Esterhuizen, Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Clement Poitrenaud, Cobus Reinach, Curwin Bosch, Garth April, Hanco Venter, Inny Radebe, Jeremy Ward, Johan Deysel, Kobus van Wyk, Lukhanyo Am, Lwazi Mvovo, Marius Louw, Michael Claassens, Odwa Ndungane, Pat Lambie (captain), Rhyno Smith, Rowan Gouws, S’bura Sithole, Sbu Nkosi, Tristan Blewett

 

[TRF_heineken]

Lions’ 40-man Super Rugby squad:

Justin Ackerman, Ruan Ackermann, Fabian Booysen, Cyle Brink, Andries Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Ruan Combrinck, Ross Cronje, Hacjivah Dayimani, Faf de Klerk, Ruan Dreyer, Lourens Erasmus, Andries Ferreira, Corne Fourie, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Johannes Jonker, Jaco Kriel, Robert Kruger, Sylvain Mahuza, Lionel Mapoe, Malcolm Marx, Howard Mnisi, Franco Mostert, Jacques Nel, Marvin Orie, Shaun Reynolds, Sitembiso Sithole, Courtnall Skosan, Dillon Smit, Kwagga Smith, Dylan Smith, Michael Tambwe, Armand van der Merwe, Jaco van der Walt, Jacques van Rooyen, Hencus van Wyk, Anthony Volmink, Harold Vorster, Warren Whiteley