Bulls duo face disciplinary hearing

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 12: Deon Stegmann (c) of the Blue Bulls during the Absa Currie Cup match between Eastern Province Kings and Vodacom Blue Bulls at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on September 12, 2014 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)

PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA - SEPTEMBER 12: Deon Stegmann (c) of the Blue Bulls during the Absa Currie Cup match between Eastern Province Kings and Vodacom Blue Bulls at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on September 12, 2014 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. (Photo by Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images)

Published Sep 16, 2014

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Blue Bulls captain Deon Stegmann and hooker Bongi Mbonambi will today face a disciplinary hearing at Loftus Versfeld at 4pm and run the risk of not being available for their team’s vital Currie Cup clash against the Sharks on Saturday.

Stegmann looks likely to miss the Sharks game after receiving a red card for striking a player with his elbow in last weekend’s match against the Eastern Province Kings in Port Elizabeth.

Mbonambi will have to answer for charging into a ruck dangerously, an incident which occurred in the 12th minute and saw Mbonambi being yellow carded.

While Stegmann has an impeccable disciplinary record, which should earn him leniency from judicial officer advocate Tokkie van Zyl, he will likely get a lighter sanction of a week, if he pleads guilty.

Mbonambi could be off the hook if he can prove that there was no malice intended but he, too, could face a stiff sanction after Western Province loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt recently copped a three match ban for a similar incident.

Any sanction against the duo could be disruptive to the momentum the Bulls have gained in recent weeks in an ailing campaign that has seen them struggle to keep to the pace of the frontrunners.

But the Bulls will feel some sort of relief with the return to fitness of prop Morné Mellett, fullback Jesse Kriel and hooker Callie Visagie.

All three players will apparently be fit for selection ahead of game against the Sharks with Visagie and Kriel set for starting berths while Mellett’s recovery has also been a timely intervention with the Bulls struggling with fit and experienced props.

Visagie has been the firm favourite at hooker at the Bulls and has managed to get the nod ahead of Mbonambi and Springbok Bandise Maku since Super Rugby earlier in the year.

Kriel will be a welcome addition into the Bulls team as he was in good form in his two starts prior to sustaining the injury against Western Province three weeks ago and should replace Ulrich Beyers at fullback.

Grant Hattingh (hip), Dean Greyling (elbow) and Lohan Jacobs (hamstring) sat out training yesterday but should be back today to join their teammates for preparations ahead of the crunch game against the defending champions. - Pretoria News

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