Ludeke forced to ring the changes

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Injuries, rotation policy, force Bulls coach Frans Ludekes hand as he makes nine changes. Photo by Lee Warren

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Bulls coach Frans Ludeke retains six players in the aftermath of the Christchurch disaster ahead of another near impossible mission for victory against the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.

Ludeke insisted that the nine changes made to his team were injury enforced but there will be plenty of doubt among the Bulls faithful about the real reason as to why these wholesale changes.

The fact that the Bulls have been hit hard by injury so early in the season cannot be denied. However, there was a deep sense of uneasiness when Ludeke was asked if some of the changes were influenced by the embarrassing 41-19 defeat at the hands of the Crusaders last weekend.

“Not at all,” was all Ludeke would say yesterday when asked if the Crusaders result had influenced his team selection.

The theory of rotation makes plenty of sense in the latter stages of the competition but to do so in the middle of a crucial overseas tour against teams that have more than often beaten them away from Loftus Versfeld, leaves more questions than answers.

The big question is whether Ludeke has already succumbed to the pressure and pulled the trigger in an effort to arrest the Bulls’ inept performance against the Crusaders before it gathers a snowball effect on the remainder of the tour?

It is still early days for Ludeke to be sending out a warning to players who had failed to perform in one game as the Bulls had showed glimpses of invincibility during their historic win over the Blues in Auckland two weeks ago.

But Ludeke defended his selections, citing injuries and his rotation system for making seven changes last week and nine this week.

With Springboks Wynand Olivier, Akona Ndungane and Francois Hougaard back home after suffering tour-ending injuries and Flip van der Merwe also sidelined by injury but still on tour, it would have made sense for Ludeke to hold on to the experience left on tour to start the remaining two matches against formidable opposition in the Reds and Brumbies.

Instead Ludeke has replaced the injured with players who had been on the fringe of the starting line-up while the likes of in-form Arno Botha and line-out king Juandré Kruger have been demoted to the bench.

In a shock omission from the match 22, Botha has been replaced by Dewald Potgieter in the starting line-up while Grant Hattingh will make his first start for the Bulls in place of Kruger at lock.

“Injuries forced our hand and contributed to 80 per cent of the changes. We have Dewald back and he, along with Pierre (Spies) and Deon Stegmann, have been our normal loose trio over the years,” Ludeke said.

“Hattingh has been an impact player for a while now. He is very good in the line-outs and his all-round game is good. Paul Willemse comes in for Flip, who is injured. Werner (Kruger) and Chili (Ralepelle) both return to the team with ease as part of the rotation policy,” added Ludeke.

While the sight of Bjorn Basson and Lionel Mapoe will be welcomed, the sudden elevation of Francois Venter into the starting team at inside centre over Jan Serfontein also raises eyebrows after Venter was initially left out of the tour party and only joined the Bulls this week as a replacement for Olivier.

Springbok flyhalf Morné Steyn is demoted to the bench, another rotation for Ludeke, and Louis Fouche is handed his first Super Rugby start.

Bulls: Zane Kirchner, Lionel Mapoe, JJ Engelbrecht, Francois Venter, Bjorn Basson, Louis Fouchè, Jano Vermaak, Pierre Spies (captain), Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh, Paul Willemse, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Mornè Mellett.

Replacements: Willie Wepener, Frik Kirsten, Juandrè Kruger, Jacques Potgieter, Ruan Snyman, Mornè Steyn, Jan Serfontein. - The Star