Phillip du Preez, the former Monnas and SA Schools 2011 lock has been snapped up by the Free State after it surfaced that the Bulls were interested in releasing him along with a number of other junior players.
When news broke during 2011 that the Bulls had signed Dennis Visser (Affies), Irne Herbst (Waterkloof), Jacques du Plessis (Ermelo) and Philip du Preez (Monnas), it seemed crazy that one Union were going to have four of the very best schoolboy Class of 2011 locks on its books from 2012 onwards. The Bulls could still rely on the services of their 2011 lock Marvin Orie (Tygerberg) to play another year of under-19 rugby in 2012 and they had signed Janus Kirsten (Affies) as well, which meant that the Bulls had six quality locks, all of whom were either close to or over 2-metres in height. The Bulls partly overcame this surplus by moving du Plessis to blindside flank and playing Orie at under-21 level. With Visser and Herbst being preferred as first choice players, something had to give and that something turned out to be du Preez.
In a way this is great news, the redistribution of a talent is bound to make the Cheetahs stronger without effecting the Bulls selection in 2013.
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