Milestone for Adriaan Strauss as Vodacom Bulls host DHL Stormers
Adriaan Strauss will become the most experienced South African in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition when he takes to the field for the Vodacom Bulls against the DHL Stormers on Saturday.
Strauss will play in his 149th match in the tournament, bettering the 148-match tally record he shared with Victor Matfield, another former Vodacom Bulls captain.
Strauss, who made his debut for the Vodacom Bulls in 2006, is one of four changes to the starting team for this North/South derby.
The veteran will start in place of Jaco Visagie, who moves to the bench, with Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier also swopping roles after the latter started at scrumhalf against the Crusaders last Friday. The same will apply at blindside flank, where Marco van Staden will earn a first start for the year, with Roelof Smith playing off the bench.
Vodacom Bulls coach, John Mitchell, also moved Hanro Liebenberg to lock in place of injured Lood de Jager, resulting in Thembelani Bholi slotting into the no7 jersey vacated by Liebenberg.
The changes resulted in new combinations in the front row, lock, loose trio and the halfback positions, but Mitchell does not believe it will affect the overall performance.
“Whether you start or finish the game, I still expect a 100% effort from all the players and we want to start strong and finish strong. This will require a collective effort from all 23 players in the squad and everyone is well aware of their roles and responsibilities.”
Mitchell congratulated Strauss on his landmark.
“Adriaan has been a true servant of South African rugby and has left his mark with the Vodacom Bulls, so it is fitting that he could reach that milestone in front of his home crowd. The Stormers are not traveling here for sentimental reasons though, so neither can we take the field with those. It will be a typical derby no doubt.”
Vodacom Bulls captain, Burger Odendaal, feels that the energy from the home crowd after three weeks on the road will be a huge boost.
“We started the season well, but the results on tour were not what we wanted to achieve. Back home at Loftus now, we hope to find that extra gear to get our season back on track. No one in this team needs motivation to play well against the Stormers. They are on a roll and we need to be at our very best if we want to stay in the contest.”
The Vodacom Bulls to face the DHL Stormers (with Vodacom Super Rugby caps and points) is:
Warrick Gelant (23, 35), Travis Ismaiel (33, 50), Jesse Kriel (50, 35), Burger Odendaal (c; 36, 15), Divan Rossouw (4, 10), Handre Pollard (36, 325), Ivan van Zyl (7, 0), Tim Agaba (1, 0), Thembelani Bholi (19, 5), Marco van Staden (5, 5), Hanro Liebenberg (23, 15), Jason Jenkins (31, 25), Trevor Nyakane (84, 15), Adriaan Strauss (148, 70), Pierre Schoeman (29, 10). Replacements: Jaco Visagie (25, 5), Frans van Wyk (6, 0), Lizo Gqoboka (31, 10), Hendre Stassen (1, 0), Roelof Smit (18, 5), Embrose Papier (5, 0), Manie Libbok (2, 0), Johnny Kotze (24, 15).
Notes:
- Adriaan Strauss will become the most capped Vodacom Super Rugby player in South Africa when he takes to the field for the 149time on Saturday, moving past Victor Matfield (148).
- Ivan van Zyl and Marco van Staden will start their first Vodacom Super Rugby matches of the season.
JACARANDA FM TO FILL UP LOFTUS TO HELP CAPE TOWN
On 31 March 2018, during the Vodacom Super Rugby clash between the Vodacom Bulls and the DHL Stormers, Jacaranda FM will fill Loftus to capacity in a bid to raise much-needed funds for the Cape Town water crisis with Project Waterdrop. It is set to be a day of first-class rugby and top entertainment by the likes of Dewald Wasserfall, Jack Parow and Martin Bester, all for a fantastic cause.
After being asked how they think the Capital City could help the Mother City, Jacaranda FM’s listeners wanted a plan that offers sustainable, meaningful and cost-effective assistance to vulnerable people residing in Cape Town.
The Cape Town Water Crisis Committee confirmed that rural schooling communities are the most vulnerable in this instance. Without water, the ablution facilities at these schools can’t be used. So essentially: No water, no school.
As a result, Jacaranda FM’s Project Waterdrop will specifically be focused on installing boreholes with solar pumps at the schools that are most heavily affected in the Western Cape, each at an estimated minimum cost of approximately R50 000.
Kevin Fine, General manager of Jacaranda FM, says: “In 2016, Jacaranda FM’s listeners donated nearly 2 million litres of water across three provinces in South Africa in a staggering time of under 48 hours. We know that we have the most generous and giving listening community in South Africa.”
He continues: “Whether you support the Vodacom Bulls, the DHL Stormers, any other rugby team or no team at all, we urge you to please be at the game on the 31st to show your support. Together, we can make a real and sustainable impact on the schooling communities in the Western Cape who are in desperate need of water infrastructure aid.”
Individuals who choose to pit their weight behind Project Waterdrop, can do so in four ways:
Attending the game on the 31st of March to show their support and making a monetary contribution on the day.
Contributing via the “2018 Project Waterdrop” page of the Ticketpros website, where donations can be made in increments of R20.
Making a donation directly to Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels, FNB Account, branch 255005, account 62411883590 with “ProjectWaterDrop” as reference.
Helping to spread the word about this initiative on social media with the hash tags #ProjectWaterDrop and #CC4CT (Capital City for Cape Town).
Companies and individuals can also choose to adopt a school, or schools, by committing to covering the full R50 000 per school. They can do so by e-mailing angels@jacarandafm.com with “Project Waterdrop Adopt A School” in the subject line and the details of their contribution in the body of the e-mail.
This project fits into the very essence of what we’re about as a station,” Fine concludes, “We’re the station who endeavours to make a meaningful and lasting impact on South African communities whilst lending a voice to passionate South Africans who are willing and able to assist others in need, in their time of need.”
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