Bulls to unleash Nortje in Currie Cup

Ken Borland

The Blue Bulls are coming off a miserable Super Rugby campaign and there is much uncertainty over their future with their executive of rugby, John Mitchell, leaving.

But they are not going to be able to con anyone into thinking they are not Currie Cup contenders after they named a powerful side yesterday for their opening fixture, against the Free State Cheetahs, in Bloemfontein tomorrow night.

Their starting line-up includes just one new cap in exciting SA under-20 lock Ruan Nortje. The 14 other players all have Super Rugby experience.

There are two more debutants on the bench, scrumhalf Theo Maree and utility back Earll Douwrie, with just two other players in the 22-man squad not having appeared in Super Rugby at some stage – replacement hooker Jan-Henning Campher and reserve loose forward Jano Venter.

“It’s still a young side, but all the starters, except for Ruan Nortje, have Super Rugby experience so we should not stand back for the Cheetahs,” coach Pote Human said at Loftus Versfeld yesterday.

“It’s a tough start to the competition for us against the Cheetahs and the Sharks away from home, but we look forward to it. Free State also have a new bunch of players and they will be targeting their home games.”

Nortje is starting ahead of the highly rated Hendre Stassen, who Mitchell had high hopes for at the start of Super Rugby, before he suffered a knee ligament injury. But Human said Stassen’s day was surely drawing near and he would be coming off the bench in Bloemfontein.

“Hendre prefers playing number five lock, which means he will have to do the lineout calling.” Bench: