Flip gets the armband and will add firepower to Bulls
Daily Dispatch
@Dispatch_DD THE Bulls will be back fresh and determined to continue on a winning trail this weekend when they take on a wounded Brumbies on Friday night following some rest from a bye this past weekend.
Hungrier and more eager to make his mark will be lock Flip van der Merwe, who last took to the field four weeks ago.
The burly Springbok will be back to take his place in the second row of the starting team and also reclaim the captaincy. He missed the past three Bulls matches to a three-week ban for punching an opponent and also nursing a hamstring niggle.
In his absence, Van der Merwe’s place in the side was taken by the industrious Paul Willemse, who has grown in leaps and bounds. Also, the leadership role was handed to Victor Matfield.
The change is likely to be the only one coach Frans Ludeke will make from the team that beat the Stormers in their last Super Rugby fixture two weeks ago before their break. The coach announces his team for Friday’s clash today.
It would not have been an easy decision for Ludeke to make demoting Willemse to the bench after stellar performances in their previous three matches, and also given the way Matfield has led the team.
However, the leadership role will not be a major issue with both Matfield and Van der Merwe set to continue sharing expertise at decision-making. The option of starting with Willemse pairing up with Matfield would have been a serious point to ponder, given that the returning Van der Merwe covers both the number four and number five lock positions.
Scrumhalf Piet van Zyl has also recovered from a knee injury, but his selection for the match-23 will only be finalised today, with Rudy Paige being the other option as backup for Francois Hougaard at number nine.
They may downplay the match being a grudge match following the Brumbies’ victory against the Bulls the last time the two sides met at Loftus Versfeld in a playoff match last season that denied the Pretoria side a shot at their fourth Super Rugby crown. But that match will be at the back of the Bulls’ minds.
The Brumbies will be looking to bounce back from the weekend’s 27-21 defeat to the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, which stuttered their mission of catching up with the table-topping Sharks.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham will be hoping for a better day at the office, not only from his own charges but also from match officials – which he pointed out as part of the reason for his side’s upset defeat on Saturday.
“We left a few points out there,” said Larkham following the defeat to the Cheetahs.
The coach did feel hard done by some refereeing calls, especially an obstruction call against centre Tevita Kuridrani which could have led to a match-deciding try to Henry Speight.
“You’re not going to get any of those 50-50 decisions over in South Africa,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lions, who are on tour in Australasia, were dealt a triple blow with injuries to utility back Lionel Mapoe, winger Courtnall Skosan and loose-forward Derick Minnie.
The trio has returned home to undergo scans and tests. Coach Johan Ackermann has called up Coenie van Wyk and Alwyn Hollenbach as cover. The pair jetted out to Perth last night to join the side as they prepare to take on Western Force this weekend, and search for their first win on tour.