The Vodacom Bulls will look to make history on Saturday as they attempt to advance to the Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints at 21:00 (SA Time).
The Vodacom Bulls were in fine form in their quarter-finals in a comprehensive victory against Lyon and they will undoubtedly look to build on that this weekend.
The Vodacom Bulls will face a formidable force in the Northampton Saints, who are unbeaten in the competition this season and currently top the Premiership table with 10 victories in their 14 matches. They also boast a good track record at home, with only one defeat at Cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens this season.
The Pretoria outfit, however, will take confidence from the fact that they suffered only one defeat in the competition, while their attacking statistics are marginally better with 25 tries to 22 by the Saints, and they will enter the match well aware of the fact that this is a do-or-die clash and that they have everything to gain.
Fueling their motivation, they suffered a narrow 29-28 defeat against Lyon in France in the only outing in which they came second-best in the Investec Champions Cup this season, while their nine tries last week will undoubtedly boost their confidence further going into the clash.
Nizaam Carr will lead the Vodacom Bulls as they make their debut appearance at this stage of club rugby’s coveted knockout competition, only in their second season of participating in the tournament.
Carr lines up at blindside flank alongside Mpilo Gumede at open side whilst Cameron Hanekom straps his boots at eight. In front of the back trio is the lock duo of Janko Swanepoel and JF van Heerden with Simphiwe Matanzima (loose-head prop), Akker van der Merwe (hooker) and Mornay Smith (tight-head prop) making up the front row.
Behind the forwards is the half-back duo of Zak Burger and Chris Smith who will be directing traffic with the support of a backline featuring Stravino Jacobs at left wing and Sebastien de Klerk blitzing on the right-hand side of the park. In between the wingers will be Harold Vorster (inside) and Henry Immelman (outside) who command the troops at centre with Devon Williams providing versatile cover from fullback.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Merwe Olivier, Reinhardt Ludwig, Keagan Johannes, Jaco van der Walt and Cornal Hendricks will form part of the five-three split impact squad.
Director of Rugby, Jake White says his squad selection this weekend is balanced between rotation, management of players, and avoiding long-term injuries based on medical advice as well as experience.
“This is the best team we have available and I am confident in them. I am looking forward to seeing how they do together. I think they are quite an exciting team for the fixture”
White adds: “Six of the guys on this current tour have played in Super Rugby finals and about eight guys have beaten Leinster in Leinster. Cameron Hanekom and Stravino Jacobs return from injury and they were the number one starters in their positions before injury,”
“There is also rotation to contend with, which I have said is very important in our group. More importantly, I have medical advice that some guys have bumps and bruises after the last travel (to Leinster) and the last massive game against Lyon, it would have been a massive risk for me to bring them overseas because of the injuries and contusions they have would have probably meant they would not be ready on Saturday, leaving us with a big group of players who would not be able to start on the weekend.”
On Merwe Olivier’s call-up, White said: “The reason I put him there is because he covers lock and flank. Northampton have a really big pack of forwards and if you consider him and Ludwig on the bench, both covering lock and flank gives us really good options,”
“They have a really good line out and they would offer me a lot size-wise and also options-wise wise and that is why I went with the both of them (Olivier and Ludwig) on the bench because they can both go into the loose forward position. He (Olivier) has played SA under-20s as has JF, so it is not like we are undermining anything.”
“We looked at the team we are playing against, and the conditions and as I have said, I hope that he will take the next step up like all the other juniors like JF, Canan, Jan-Hendrick Wessels and Hanekom. It is something we pride ourselves on how the young players have come through” Whited added.
When asked about his expectations of the match, the Vodacom Bulls mentor said: “I would like to win. In every competition I have ever played in, I play to win,”
“The players have a wonderful opportunity in a great game, a quarterfinal of the Investec Champions Cup and it is a wonderful opportunity for them to make memories and to use this opportunity,”
“This is a wonderful competition, one we wish to win” Jake White concludes.
Phil Dowson made three changes to his Northampton Saints side as they head into the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals at Franklin’s Gardens.
The men in Black, Green and Gold secured their place in the competition’s last eight with a dramatic 24-14 win over Munster Rugby last weekend, with two late George Hendy scores sealing the win for Saints in front of a raucous Gardens crowd.
Northampton feature in their first quarter-final in the competition since 2020, when Saints travelled to Exeter Chiefs behind closed doors, and faced off with the Bulls for the first time in the two sides’ histories.
Juarno Augustus, Alex Mitchell and Hendy mark the changes to the Saints’ side, with all three coming into the starting line-up after beginning last week’s match on the bench.
Last weekend’s match-winner Hendy starts alongside wing Ollie Sleightholme and fullback James Ramm in Northampton’s back three, while Tommy Freeman shifts into Saints’ centres to partner Fraser Dingwall.
Northampton names an unchanged tight five; Emmanuel Iyogun, Curtis Langdon and Trevor Davison retain their places in the Saints’ front row, with Alex Moon and Alex Coles partnering in the engine room behind them.
Courtney Lawes captains Saints from the back row and is joined by Sam Graham and incoming No.8 Augustus to complete the starting XV.
There’s a welcome return among Saints’ replacements as George Furbank makes his comeback from injury, with the likes of Sam Matavesi, Alex Waller, Lewis Ludlam and Tom James also named on Saints’ bench.
Teams
Northampton Saints: 15 James Ramm, 14 George Hendy, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Sam Graham, 6 Courtney Lawes (c), 5 Alex Coles, 4 Alex Moon, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun. Replacements: 16 Sam Matavesi, 17 Alex Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Lewis Ludlam, 22 Tom James, 23 George Furbank.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Henry Immelman, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Izak Burger, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Nizaam Carr (c), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Merwe Olivier, 20 Reinhardt Ludwig, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cornal Hendricks.