Although this is Currie Cup final week and just about all the media attention during the build-up to Saturday’s big match is expected to be focused on the finalists Western Province and the Sharks, there is a little something that the Bulls can still get out of the season. Their under-19 team has been favourites to claim the title since day one of the season and their reinforced under-21’s, boosted by the return of several senior Currie Cup players including a Springbok to the age-group ranks, is looking equally hot ahead of the junior finals, which will also take place on Saturday at Newlands.
The Bulls under-19’s clinched their place with a 37-21 victory against the gutsy Leopards and will face up to the Golden Lions who edged out the Sharks U19 by 27-25 in the other semi.
In the under-21 semi-final, the Bulls scored 19 unanswered second half points to convincingly beat the Sharks U21 36-13. Significantly the second 40 contributions were made by Handre Pollard, Jan Serfontein and Wiaan Liebenberg, three senior Currie Cup returners. The Bulls now meet injury hit WP who needed 20-minutes of extra time to beat the Golden Lions 44-41 in a thrilling game.
The Bulls are looking very good to win both junior titles.
The Bulls’ senior rugby season
Somewhere towards the end of what had been up until that point a very successful 2013 Super Rugby campaign for the Bulls, the wheels suddenly and unexpectedly came off. A heavy defeat to the Stormers when the Bulls were chasing first place on the Super Rugby log was followed a couple of weeks later by a 23-26 loss to Jake White’s Brumbies in the semi-final at Loftus. What had promised so much delivered so little.
Those defeats were followed by what must surely have been the biggest exodus in SA provincial rugby history. Morné Steyn, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Juandre Kruger, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques Potgieter, Jano Vermaak, Wynand Olivier and Zane Kirchner all officially left the Bulls.
There was talk of financial problems at Loftus. How true this is, no one will know. The bottom line was that with that drain of senior player talent, the Bulls were always bound to struggle during the Currie Cup. 2013 was essentially a rebuilding year for the senior team and a number of youngsters were given opportunities that might not otherwise have come along so soon.
The Bulls did not make the Currie Cup playoffs and for many of their fans the season will be remembered/forgotten as a complete failure with coach Pine Pienaar as scapegoat.
It might not make up for the season gone wrong at senior level but Bulls fans might still have something to smile about in 2013, thanks to their under-19’s and under-21’s. Their massive investment in junior rugby is paying dividends and with the young talent they have on their books right now, the future of Bulls rugby looks very bright idea.
Teams for the Finals
| BULLS u19 | School | # | LIONS u19 | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierre Schoeman | Affies | 1 | Dylan Smith (c.) | KES |
| Corne Els | Grey College | 2 | Malcolm Marx | KES |
| Dayan vd Westhuizen | Centurion | 3 | Pieter Scholtz | Diamantveld |
| Justin Basson | Boland Landbou | 4 | Victor Sekekete | Queens High |
| Nicolaas Jv Rensburg | Affies | 5 | JP du Preez | EG Jansen |
| Heinrich Viljoen | Affies | 6 | Thabo Mabuza | Centurion |
| Jean Droste | Affies | 7 | Cyle Brink | KES |
| Chris Massyn | Monument | 8 | Jano Venter | HTS Middelburg |
| JP Smith | Queens | 9 | Christian Meyer | EG Jansen |
| Kobus Marais | Waterkloof | 10 | Jaco vd Walt | Monument |
| Keagon Gordon | Boland Landbou | 11 | Callie Nel | Paul Roos |
| Rohan Jv Rensburg | Waterkloof | 12 | Daniel Arries | Windhoek HS |
| Daniel Kriel | M. College | 13 | Koch Marx | Alberton |
| Duncan Matthews | Swartland | 14 | Chad McKay | Centurion |
| Jesse Kriel (c.) | M. College | 15 | Barend Herbst | Monument |
| Arno van Wyk | Boland Landbou | 16 | Rynard Snyman | Hentie Cilliers |
| Wilco Louw | Drostdy | 17 | Francois van Heerden | Monument |
| Ngwako Ralepelle | Pretoria BH | 18 | Quinton Terblanche | Alberton |
| Corne Cooper | Paarl Gim | 19 | Estian Enslin | EG Jansen |
| Cameron Anthony | Pretoria BH | 20 | Akhona Sihunu | Dale |
| Leighton van Wyk | SACS | 21 | Brandan Hewitt | Centurion |
| Ganfried May | Oudtshoorn | 22 | Gerdus van der Walt | Monument |
| Piet-Louw Strauss | Oakdale | 23 | Kyle van Dalen | EG Jansen |
| BULLS u21 | School | # | WP u21 | School |
| Justin Forwood | Waterkloof | 1 | Oliver Kebble | France |
| Jaco Visagie | Augsburg | 2 | Stephan Coetzee | HJS Paarl BH |
| Hencus van Wyk | Nylstroom | 3 | Entienne Swanepoel | Tygerberg |
| Paul Willemse | Monument | 4 | Jean Kleyn | Linden |
| Irne Herbst | Waterkloof | 5 | Ruan Botha | Jeugland |
| Wiaan Liebenberg | Drostdy | 6 | Josh Katzen (c.) | Wynberg |
| Jacques du Plessis | Ermelo | 7 | Sikhumbuzo Notshe | Wynberg |
| Clyde Davids | Paarl Gim | 8 | Rayn Smid | Rondebosch |
| Rudi van Rooyen | Affies | 9 | Godlen Masimla | Hugenote |
| Handrè Pollard | Paarl Gim | 10 | Tim Swiel | Bishops |
| Travis Ismaiel | Tygerberg | 11 | Devon Williams | HJS Paarl BH |
| Jan Serfontein | Grey College | 12 | Kobus van Wyk | Paarl Gim |
| William Small-Smith | Grey College | 13 | Johnny Kotze | Bishops |
| Kefentse Mahlo | Ben Vorster | 14 | Pat Howard | Michaelhouse |
| Jacques Rossouw | Piketburg | 15 | Dillyn Leyds | Bishops |
| Ruan Steenkamp | Monument | 16 | Michael Willemse | Grey HS |
| Andrew Beerwinkel | Drostdy | 17 | Justin Ackerman | HJS Paarl BH |
| Dennis Visser | Affies | 18 | Carel du Preez | Noord-Kaap |
| Nardus van der Walt | Affies | 19 | Eital Bredenkamp | Affies |
| Carlo Engelbrecht | Affies | 20 | Jean Nel | HJS Paarl BH |
| Tony Jantjies | Menlopark | 21 | JP Lewis | Paul Roos |
| Dries Swanepoel | Grey College | 22 | Craig Barry | Paul Roos |
Contributing to the Bulls senior team failure: player
|
Transfers out |
Transfer to |
Overseas |
|
Braam Gerber |
Boland |
Zane Kirschner |
|
Rossouw de Klerk |
Free State |
Brian Habana |
|
Marnitz Boshoff |
Lions |
Wynand Olivier |
|
Warwick Tecklenberg |
Lions |
Morne Steyn |
|
Johan Sadie |
Free State |
Jano Vermaak |
|
Marnus Schoeman |
Griquas |
Chiliboy Ralapele |
|
Rocco Jansen |
Griquas |
Jaques Potgieter |
|
Francois Brummer |
Griquas |
Dewald Potgieter |
|
Stefan Rademeyer |
Pumas |
Bakkies Botha |
|
Willie du Plessis |
Free State / Lions |
Ruaan Snyman |
|
Deon Helberg |
Lions |
Fourie du Preez |
|
Gerhard vd Heever |
WP |
Danie Rossouw |
|
Robbie Coetzee |
Lions |
Pedrie Wannenburg |
|
Andries Coetzee |
Lions |
Guthro Steenkamp |
|
Corne Fourie |
Pumas |
CJ Stander |
|
Injured |
Gerrit- Jan van Velze |
|
|
Pierre Spies |
Mark Williams |
|
|
Francois Hougaard |
Jacques Burger |
|
|
Deon Stegman |
Adriaan Fondse |
|
|
Louis Fouche |
On the way out |
|
|
Arno Botha |
Cornell Hess |
|
|
Basil Short |
Francois Venter |
|
|
Cornell Hess |
Wilhelm Steenkamp |
|
|
Jean Cook |
Jean cook |
|
|
Calie Visagie |
Springbok duty |
|
|
Courtnal Skosan |
JJ Engelbrecht |
|
|
Flip vd Merwe |
||
|
Jan Serfontein |
||
|
Bjorn Basson |
@Grasshopper: Chris De Beer the Sharks U19 hooker, got to around 113kgs and was told to trim down to between 105 – 108. He didn’t need the bulk and had serious strength already. They were more concerned with pace and lineout work. Not sure Marx needs 119 kg’s to get the job done.
@beet: if so he has put on about 12kg in a year, too much for a hooker!
Pity Reegan Smith had to withdraw, he is in the middle of exams, actually wrote an exam this morning. He will make his mark, but he is still a full time student.
Malcolm Marx at hooker for the Lions wieghs 119kg
Jaco van der Walt vs Kobus Marais. What a contest coming up at flyhalf in the u19s. Lets see who has the BMT
@Gungets Tuft: The only problem is that Bulls junior centres get used as battering rams. They are like Deysels of the midfield. Daniel always looked good for College when he built up a bit of steam coming from deep and targeted spaces to run into.
The finals start at 12:15 with the u19 game
Nice to see Dan Kriel back in the mix. I was starting to worry that the shoulder was a career ender. The boy is good stuff, we will hear a lot more of him
Look as if Mr Beet is making excuses for the Bulls after our bad season. Ai ai ai. If opposition supporters start making excuses for your team you must know you are knee deep in the ****. BB supporters have heard all the excuses Mr Beet. We are tired of the excuses. Bad administration. Private company-heads would have rolled.
Old story. Run on U/21 side. 3 Pretoria boys. 6 Boys from the Western Cape.
Old story. Well done to Affies for klitsing Grey Bloem with the cricket last Saterday. Sorry Bog.
@beet: Didn’t Tim Swiel go to Bishops?
Sorry I just noticed that comments for this blog were accidentally closed.
The Bulls have announced their junior teams for the finals which will be on TV before the main game.
Also check out the list of players that the Bulls have had to do without this season for one reason or another