Arrival of Boshoff will help bolster Bulls’ flyhalf stocks
PRETORIA: In a desperate last-ditch effort to avert another disastrous campaign in the Currie Cup, the Blue Bulls have moved swiftly to sign former Springbok flyhalf Marnitz Boshoff and rising Golden Lions and former SA Schools flank Jano Venter.
The arrival of the duo at Loftus coincides with that of Blitzboks star Tim Agaba, who has finally joined the Bulls after recovering from an ankle injury sustained during the Blitzboks’ world-conquering season this year.
While towering loose forward Agaba won’t be available for selection for the Bulls clash against the Free State Cheetahs on Saturday at Loftus as he is in the final stage of his rehabilitation, inside sources have confirmed that Venter could make his debut for the men in blue then.
The 23-year-old e-Malahleni-born Venter is likely to come in as a replacement for the injured Jannes Kirsten at No 7 as the Bulls look to arrest their two-match losing run.
Boshoff, who began his junior rugby at the Bulls, has been released from his contract with Irish club Connacht after the recent death of his father and will be available to play with immediate effect.
The arrival of Boshoff will help bolster the depleted stocks of the Bulls at flyhalf.
Bulls coach Nollis Marais will undoubtedly be in a rush to include his new recruits to help turn around his team’s fortunes in the domestic competition and this will be given a further shot in the arm with the presence of prop Lizo Gqoboka and fullback Warrick Gelant who have been released from the Springbok squad.
While Marais has been reluctant to utilise the services of his Springbok players, he will feel that he has little choice but to call on Gqoboka to strengthen his front row and the sizzling Gelant.
Gqoboka, who has extended his stay at Loftus for a further two years until 2019, last played in Super Rugby and his freshness will be vital in anchoring the Bulls’ scrum against a formidable Cheetahs pack, while Gelant’s availability is a timely intervention after Duncan Matthews was handed a one-match ban on Tuesday for a dangerous tackle in Saturday’s loss against WP.
The Bulls also confirmed the extension of contracts of SA A lock Jason Jenkins, Junior Bok prop Gerhard Steenekamp (until 2019) and Matthews until 2020.
“This is pretty exciting times for us,” said Xander Janse van Rensburg, the Blue Bulls Company High Performance manager yesterday.
“Not only are we getting players of international calibre confirming their confidence in our structures, but we also see current players expressing their desire to build and extend their careers with us. This is a humbling endorsement of the process under way in Pretoria.
“We are hoping to build something special and with quality players like these who just put pen to paper, the results will be seen sooner, rather than later.” New contracts Marnitz Boshoff till 2019; Jano Venter till 2019; Tim Agaba till 2019.