Human rings the changes for Lions
NEW CAP: TUKS’ FRED EKSTEEN TO MAKE DEBUT AT FLANK
The Blue Bulls’ traumatic Currie Cup campaign now takes them to Ellis Park to tackle the unbeaten Golden Lions on Saturday, with coach Pote Human announcing a team with six changes yesterday.
Most of the changes will probably just bore frustrated Bulls fans as the personnel is shuffled about, except maybe for the introduction for the first time of Tuks flank Fred Eksteen.
But with both captain Ruan Steenkamp and Marco van Staden ruled out due to concussion, the biggest question to come out of the team announcement is why flank Roelof Smit, a Springbok tourist in 2016, still can’t get a game under Human?
The official answer from Human was that Smit was unavailable for what is likely to be the Blue Bulls’ penultimate outing of the Currie Cup. The 26-year-old has also signed with the Lions for next year so he probably does not have much desire to batter his future team-mates.
“I wanted him to play, but he told me he was not available this weekend. It’s a pity and now we probably only have one game after this. But he has already signed for the Lions for next season,” Human said.
Wihan Vosloo instead returns to the starting loose trio while Ivan van Zyl starts at scrumhalf and will captain the Blue Bulls, while promising lock Simphiwe Matanzima has suffered a season-ending knee injury and will be replaced by Dayan van der Westhuizen. Johan Grobbelaar has been promoted to starting hooker, with Jaco Visagie reverting to the bench.
Lock Andries Ferreira, who
was a late withdrawal from the game against Griquas, is over his hamstring strain and takes up his place in the second row.
“Johan has done well when he has come on and Andries will bring physicality. Fred Eksteen has had long pre-season training, he’s worked very hard and having played for Tuks with me I have a lot of confidence in him, and in Wihan Vosloo. Ivan gets his chance to start now after four weeks and I know he has good leadership capabilities, he will organise the guys,” Human said.