Cape Town - The South African Rugby Union fought hard to ensure that their top local franchises are able to play in the Champions Cup, as it was seen as something equivalent to – and even better than – Super Rugby.
But yesterday, Jake White picked an experimental side shorn of every starting player from last week’s URC win over Cardiff for tonight’s Champions Cup opener against Lyon at Loftus Versfeld (7.30pm kick off).
It is understandable why White made such a selection. The Pretoria side have a gruelling schedule over the next few months, as after the Lyon encounter they travel to England to face Exeter Chiefs.
Then it’s off to Cape Town to take on URC champions the Stormers, before flying to Durban for a showdown with the Sharks at Kings Park on New Year’s Eve.
The fun doesn’t end there … The Bulls have to fly to Wales for a Dragons clash seven days later, then it’s a home game against Exeter and more air miles in a trip to France for Lyon, before ending that period of the season against the Scarlets in Llanelli.
Phew! A three-week break follows, but White needed to find a way to manage his squad over the URC and Champions Cup.
But the side chosen for tonight’s encounter is a real gamble. It could be argued that this team – with Morné Steyn the captain and no current Springboks playing – should have featured last week against Cardiff, who are a considerably weaker outfit than Lyon.
And with it being a new competition, you would have thought that the Bulls would have wanted to make an immediate impression instead of risking a possible home defeat.
White, though, is adamant that he is doing the right thing.
“When this month started, I said that we are going to be very clever about how we manage the players. It’s just turned out that a couple of Springboks came back and needed some time off,” he said yesterday.
“Some guys have worked really hard to get a game, and I just felt it is a home game and a good opportunity for some boys who have pushed really hard to get a start.
“There are enough experienced players – older, wiser heads – and generally the average age of this team is quite high, even with a couple of youngsters.
“Taking nothing away from Lyon … I know how strong Top 14 and European rugby is. It’s an opportunity, and I think we are going to have to be clever this week, next week, the following week – it goes all the way through to the end of January before we get another break because of the Six Nations.
“Every guy appreciates that we do what’s best for the team. It’s not a question of, because it’s the first Champions Cup game, everybody who has played and wants to play should just be given that chance.”
One of the notable selections is Wandisile Simelane at fullback again, where he hasn’t quite found his feet as yet, having starred at outside centre for the Lions previously.
“He’s very happy, he understands the plan. I know he can play 13, everyone knows he can play 13. We’re lucky in the sense that we’ve got a lot of guys playing well at 13, like Lionel Mapoe and Cornal Hendricks,” White said.
“Lukhanyo Am is the (Springbok) incumbent, and it is very unlikely that someone is going to surpass him in the next year or two. So, Wandisile is playing there because I want him to develop his game.
“The French teams can expose him, like any team can, but I tell you if they kick poorly and he catches it, then they are going to have to defend – because he turns nothing into something.
“A little bit like Kurt-lee when he’s got the ball in his hands and he is running towards you… He can obviously create magic. He might make mistakes, but not because he’s not trying or because he doesn’t have an understanding.”
Teams For Pretoria
BULLS: 15 Wandisile Simelane 14 Sibongile Novuka 13 Stedman Gans 12 Marco Jansen van Vuren 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Morné Steyn (captain) 9 Bernard van der Linde 8 Muller Uys 7 WJ Steenkamp 6 Nizaam Carr 5 Reinhardt Ludwig 4 Jacques du Plessis 3 Jacques van Rooyen 2 Bismarck du Plessis 1 Dylan Smith.
Bench: 16 Jan-hendrik Wessels 17 Lizo Gqoboka 18 Sebastian Lombard 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 Phumzile Maqondwana 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Chris Barend Smith 23 Juan Mostert.
LYON: 15 Leo Berdeu 14 Ethan Dumortier 13 Tavite Veredamu 12 Kyle Godwin 11 Noa Nakaitaci 10 Fletcher Smith 9 Jean-marc Doussain (captain) 8 Arno Botha 7 Mickael Guillard 6 Dylan Cretin 5 Romain Taofifenua 4 Felix Lambey 3 Paulo Tafili 2 Liam Coltman 1 Jerome Rey.
Bench: 16 Guillaume Marchand 17 Hamza Kaabeche 18 Francisco Gomez Kodela 19 Theo William 20 Loann Goujon 21 Jonathan Pelissie 22 Xavier Mignot 23 Alexandre Tchaptchet.
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