Saracens vs Vodacom Blue Bulls and London Welsh vs Saracens

For the Western Province game, which attracted a decent attendance in the end, Saracens had clearly emphasised that they would select the strongest line-up possible for the match, duly winning it, whilst a side similar to the title-winning Storm side earnt a win at Neath in the LV= Cup against the Ospreys the previous night. However, there is more of a conundrum now. With ticket sales, according to this site at least, relatively modest, what should the priority be this time around, winning new friends from the South African expat community, which was done to great effect in the previous two matches, or looking to seal a semi-final spot in the LV= Cup. By the law of averages, London Welsh will eventually win a game, and, ironically, when their second string visited Allianz Park shortly after the first team demolition, they put up more of a fight than their senior counterparts, hence the need for a balanced side. The situation is made even more complex by Storm captain Maro Itoje's call up for England Saxons in their match against Ireland Wolfhounds in Cork on the Friday night, in a squad which also features Chris Ashton. 

 

In practice, we'll probably see the remaining members of the first team on Saturday and most of the victorious Storm line up in Oxford. In the front row, Brett Sharman looks certain to start at hooker against his former club on Saturday, alongside Richard Barrington and Petrus de Plessis, whilst Jim Hamilton and Alistair Hargreaves should combine at lock, leaving a back row of Kelly Brown, Jacques Burger and Ernst Joubert. I am not sure whether Rhys Gill and Jackson Wray are back in contention for selection at this stage, or whether Marcelo Bosch is with Argentina, but if they are, should certainly be involved. It's the backs which become harder to predict, though. Ben Ransom presumably comes in at full back, with David Strettle possibly switched onto the right wing, a centre partnership of Nick Tompkins and Tim Streather, and Chris Wyles on the left wing. Charlie Hodgson and Neil de Kock should combine at half back. Voytov, James Johnston, Ben Spencer, Nils Mordt, Mike Ellery, Gill and Wray could all feature on the bench, although, some at least would be in the LV= Cup game, maybe even in both.

 

Fortunately, we have some certainty for the Blue Bulls side, who have already named their starting 15, and a whole host of substitutes. most notably club captain and number 8 Pierre Spies, who will make his return from the bench after nearly a year out with injury. Versatile back Jurgen Visser starts at full back, and will be a threat on the counter attack, whilst South Africa 7s player Jamba Ulengo is on the right wing and Bjorn Basson, with eleven SA Test appearances on the opposite wing. In the centres, powerful SA international centre Jan Serfontein, in the mould of Brad Barritt, is at 12 with JJ Englebrecht posing a real attacking threat alongside him. In the half-backs, Jacques-Louis Potgieter is back at his home club at fly half following a spell in France, alongside Francois Hougaard, who has also featured on the wing for the club and even in a Springbok shirt. Into the forwards, and the front row will consist of international prop Trevor Nyakane at loosehead, having recently moved to the Bulls from the Free State Cheetahs, hooker Callie Visagie, a particular powerful ball carrier, and tighthead prop Werner Kruger, closing in on a combined 250 appearances for the Bulls and Blue Bulls across the domestic and Super Rugby competitions. The lock combination features Jacques du Plessis, who at the age of 21 has had a meteoric rise into the first team, and Grant Hattingh, who worked his way into the starting line up last season and is a noted operator in the line up. Completing the line up, in the back row are captain Deon Stegmann and Pieter Labuschagne at flanker, the latter another new signing by the Pretoria club from Cheetahs.  Hanro Liebenberg is at number 8. 

 

2014 saw the Blue Bulls finish fourth in the Currie Cup table, earning them an away play-off semi final at Newlands against Western Province, which the eventual cup winners won 31-23. The Cup fixtures had begun with a 41-13 humbling against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg, before a trip to Western Province saw another heavy loss, as they went down 41-17 in Cape Town. A return home to Loftus Versfeld proved a tonic as the Eastern Province Kings were seen off 30-25, only for a third loss in four to be suffered at home to Western Province, 18-25. September marked a change in fortunes with the Golden Lions beaten 26-16 in Pretoria, just ahead of a 28-13 win in Port Elizabeth against Eastern Province, completing the double against them. However, the mixed form continued with a 26-15 home reverse to the Sharks, but in the end, three commanding wins were enough to seal fourth place. A 31-22 win at the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein began the trio, and was backed up by a 37-6 win at Nelspruit against the Pumas, with the regular season completed by a thumping 46-12 home win against Griquas.

 

Onto Oxford, where Welsh have still yet to win a first team game. Since their 78-7 defeat at Allianz Park just before Christmas, they have lost all of their subsequent five games, although by narrower margins. On Boxing Day, they went down 24-9 at London Irish, which realistically confirmed their relegation, but then they gave Harlequins a scare before the South West London side collected a 24-13 away win, before losing 38-7 at Newcastle Falcons. Switching to the European Rugby Challenge Cup, they ended the campaign with a solitary losing bonus point as a 26-3 loss at Bordeaux-Begles was followed by a 17-12 home reverse to Lyon. Their opening two LV= Cup matches saw a 47-7 loss at Bath and 18-9 home defeat to Gloucester to leave them out of contention already. In those fixtures, they opted for a side with a number of first team regulars, so, as a guide, the Lyon match featured former Plymouth player Chris Elder at full back, with former Quin Seb Stegmann and Rhys Crane on the wings, and James Lewis, in his fourth season at the club, accompanying Olly Barkley in the centres. The half back combination featured former Bristol fly half Tristan Roberts with the experienced scrum half Rob Lewis. In the forwards, Tongan loosehead Eddie Aholelei and ex Bedford tighthead Ben Cooper were either side of ex Wasps hooker Nathan Morris. At lock, the vastly experienced Dean Schofield accompanied club captain and stalwart Matt Corker, now with over 200 appearances for the club. The back row consisted of former Australian under 20 Lachlan McCaffrey and ex Leicester Tiger Richard Thorpe at flanker and South African Ben Pienaar at number 8.

The line up for Saracens will probably be an adjusted Storm line up so in the backs, Catalin Fercu at full back, with Mike Ellery and George Perkins on the wings, and Max Malins with Thretton Palamo in the centres.  Tom Whiteley would be at scrum half with Nils Mordt at fly half, as things look short in this area at the moment, and he wasn't subbed in the two Storm games I reported on before Christmas. In the forwards, Jack Culverhouse and Biyi Alo would be at prop either side of hooker Jared Saunders, with Mike Tredrea and Hayden Smith forming the second row, with a back row of Haydon Thompson-Stringer, Matt Hankin and number 8 Nick de Jager. There is plenty of cover for the bench in terms of the forwards, with Josh Taylor and Billy Walker available, but it looks like there will be a number of appearances for the academy players amongst the backs.