The Bulls need one last effort at home to set-up their road trip!

AN ANGRY HURRICANES SIDE

Bulls Captain Victor Matfield was not prepared to become complacent as he is all to aware of the danger and unpredicatability the Hurricanes possess. In fact he feels that rather than being softened up by the Stormers, the loss will make them angry and even more determined to leave South Africa with a win.

“If the Hurricanes play, you can never be complacent. It’s that simple. We all know what a big challenge they pose to any side with their game-breakers. People say the Stormers softened them up for us, I believe they made them angry! They will be very desperate for a win and they are still one of the best sides in this competition” said Matfield

“If they can pull off a win on the road, it will be huge for them. We need to focus on this week and be 100 percent ready for what they are going to throw at us. We will be up for the game and we know if we play our game, we will do well” Matfield said.

Matfield was echoing the same message as his Bulls coach Frans Ludeke.

“We’ve seen in this competition how some teams improve from one week to the next and this is a whole new game. The Stormers game means nothing. The fact that they have lost will have a huge effect on their game. We will do whatever it takes to get the win” said Ludeke.

UNBEATEN STREAK

The Hurricanes were the last side to beat the Bulls at Loftus, that victory coming just under 2 years ago. Since then the Bulls have been unbeaten in 14 straight matches at Loftus. Whilst the Hurricanes have done it before, circumstances in 2008 were vastly different with no Victor Matfield leading the Bulls, a new coach and failure to adapt to the ELV’s and a Bulls side down on confidence.

Since then the Bulls have only gotten stronger, and are a much more complete team. It will require a special team, and a superhuman effort to beat this Bulls side at Loftus, and this Hurricanes side is good, but not nearly classy enough to beat the Bulls on home soil.

Only the Crusaders (26 between 2004 and 2007) and Blues (22 between 1996 and 1998) have a better winning streak of home games.

TEAM SELECTION

I believe Ludeke has been very smart in recent weeks, rotating some of his key players, yet saving his strongest lineup for what is probably the toughest challenge at Loftus so far this season. He has a fresh Deon Stegmaan and hios number 1 loose trio with Dewald Potgieter and Pierre Spies also fresh and raring to go.

The one concern I do have is Gurthro Steenkamp at loosehead. The big frontranker has been awesome this year, and I hope the slight niggle he picked up last week is gone. Hamstrings can have a habit of hanging around! Mind you I’m sure the Bulls medical team have been working hard to get him right!

Having a 5-2 bench is also handy, as we’ve seen that if you can attack the Hurricanes up fron you can nullify the strength of their backs. The Bulls showed in Wellington last year how to do it, and I feel we just need to kick to touch a bit more and utilise our lineout which has once again been superb.

Whilst a 5-2 split was always probably going to happen, it is unfortunate that Heini Adams picked up a rib injury as I really do rate his play, and Ludeke will be more reluctant to give Fourie du Preez a rest with only Francois Hougaard as his cover.

MILESTONES

Victor Matfield reaches an elite club, playing his 100th Super rugby game.
Matfield has 8 caps for the Cats having played a season for them, and will have 91 for the Bulls, of which he has been captain for 51.

His professionalism has been evident this week when as he has tried to play down the significance of what he has achieved and concentrate on the team’s goals.

“It is really easy for us to handle the emotion of such a milestone as a team. It is great for the players to get to those milestones, but we don’t worry about it in the week leading up to the game” Matfield said.

“We don’t play for caps, we play to win trophies. Of course it is nice for me, but the bigger picture is what the Bulls must do to stay undefeated. All the teams are improving week by week, so we need to improve as well” said Matfield.

“I don’t think it was mentioned once this week about my 50th. After the game the guys will say well done, but I know with the way they play, they’re saying well done. It is all about the team and not individuals, and it has never been for us, that is very important” continued Matfield

MY PREDICTION

The Bulls have a much stronger forward pack, and provided we play to our strengths and use the lineouts and rolling mauls, the Hurricanes will not be able to match us. That should lead to back foot ball for the Hurricanes backs which can easily be nullified, and without Cory Jane and David Smith are very inexperienced. At Loftus you definitely need to put out your most experienced side!

The Bulls will have worked hard on their defence and watch for them to emulate the Stormers. They’ll try not to commit too many to the breakdown, and aim to double team Nonu and Smith in the midfield and render the Hurricanes backline ineffective.

Whilst the Hurricanes have won on their last two trips to Pretoria, they’ll feel the pain on this occasion and the Bulls should win comfortably.

Go Bulle Go!

Vodacom Bulls:

1. Gurtho Steenkamp
2. Gary Botha
3. Werner Kruger
4. Danie Rossouw
5. Victor Matfield (c)
6. Deon Stegmann
7. Dewald Potgieter
8. Pierre Spies
9. Fourie du Preez
10. Morne Steyn
11. Francois Hougaard
12. Wynand Olivier
13. Stephan Dippenaar
14. Gerhard van den Heever
15. Zane Kirchner

16. Bandise Maku
17. Bees Roux/Rossouw de Klerk
18. Flip van der Merwe
19. Derick Kuun
20. Jacques-Louis Potgieter
21. Jaco van der Westhuyzen
22. Pedrie Wannenburg

Hurricanes:

1. John Schwalger
2. Andrew Hore
3. Neemia Tialata
4. Jeremey Thrush
5. Michael Paterson
6. Victor Vito
7. Karl Lowe
8. Rodney So’oialo
9. Tyson Keats
10. Willie Ripia
11. Alapati Leiua
12. Ma’a Nonu
13. Conrad Smith
14. Tamati Ellison
15. Andre Taylor

16. Dane Coles
17. Jacob Ellison
18. Bryn Evans
19. Nick Crosswell
20. Piri Weepu
21. Aaron Cruden
22. David Smith

Referee: Steve Walsh

Previous Super 14 results:

2006: Bulls 23, Hurricanes 26 (Pretoria)
2007: Bulls 9, Hurricanes 17 (Wellington)
2008:Bulls 22, Hurricanes 50 (Pretoria)
2009: Bulls 19, Hurricanes 14 (Wellington)