CHEETAHS captain Adriaan Strauss will earn his 100th Super Rugby cap when they face the Bulls at Loftus today, but for the abrasive hooker only victory will ensure it’s a memorable occasion.
The Cheetahs have never beaten the Bulls at Loftus in Super Rugby. But until this year they had never beaten the Bulls in the competition at any venue. That changed with a 15-9 victory in Bloemfontein in February and now the Cheetahs are on the hunt for an away Bulls scalp.
For Strauss his 100th cap marks a full circle of sorts, as he made his debut for the Bulls against the Hurricanes in March 2006.
As a student at Tukkies he played Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup for the Bulls. But he returned to Bloemfontein in 2007, going on to become a vital part of the Cheetahs setup as well as an integral part of the Springbok squad.
He has earned 33 Test caps and is officially the Bok vice-captain, but all that counts for little at a venue where the Cheetahs have enjoyed no success in Super Rugby.
For both franchises it has been a miserable year with the Cheetahs so far only enjoying two wins and a draw in 10 matches while the Bulls have three wins and a draw from 10 games.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made changes after last week’s dour 15-9 loss to the Force in Perth, bringing former SAU20 centre William Small-Smith and flyhalf Handre Pollard into the backline for their first starts.
Prop Marcel van der Merwe will earn his first start.
The Lions begin their first Australasian tour under coach Johann Ackermann against the defending champion Chiefs in Hamilton. It doesn’t get much tougher than that but the Lions have shown tenacity all season.
Unfortunately it is unlikely to be enough against a Chiefs team desperate for a good result after several poor weeks. In fact, the Chiefs haven’t won in their past five matches, losing to the Force followed by consecutive draws against the Bulls and Cheetahs in SA, before losses to the Crusaders and the Brumbies.
The Lions are on a three-match losing streak, following a good start to the campaign in which they won four of their first six games.
The ailing Stormers host the Highlanders at Newlands, where the visitors are confident of their first win in Cape Town for eight years.
The Highlanders are coming off a 34-18 victory over the Sharks in Durban while the Stormers are reeling following a 35-22 loss to the Cheetahs.
“The Highlanders have a lot of confidence and they’re playing very well,” Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said.
“We will have to be at our best against a side like this.”
Strauss caps career with 100th game
The Cheetahs have never beaten the Bulls at Loftus in Super Rugby. But until this year they had never beaten the Bulls in the competition at any venue. That changed with a 15-9 victory in Bloemfontein in February and now the Cheetahs are on the hunt for an away Bulls scalp.
For Strauss his 100th cap marks a full circle of sorts, as he made his debut for the Bulls against the Hurricanes in March 2006.
As a student at Tukkies he played Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup for the Bulls. But he returned to Bloemfontein in 2007, going on to become a vital part of the Cheetahs setup as well as an integral part of the Springbok squad.
He has earned 33 Test caps and is officially the Bok vice-captain, but all that counts for little at a venue where the Cheetahs have enjoyed no success in Super Rugby.
For both franchises it has been a miserable year with the Cheetahs so far only enjoying two wins and a draw in 10 matches while the Bulls have three wins and a draw from 10 games.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made changes after last week’s dour 15-9 loss to the Force in Perth, bringing former SAU20 centre William Small-Smith and flyhalf Handre Pollard into the backline for their first starts.
Prop Marcel van der Merwe will earn his first start.
The Lions begin their first Australasian tour under coach Johann Ackermann against the defending champion Chiefs in Hamilton. It doesn’t get much tougher than that but the Lions have shown tenacity all season.
Unfortunately it is unlikely to be enough against a Chiefs team desperate for a good result after several poor weeks. In fact, the Chiefs haven’t won in their past five matches, losing to the Force followed by consecutive draws against the Bulls and Cheetahs in SA, before losses to the Crusaders and the Brumbies.
The Lions are on a three-match losing streak, following a good start to the campaign in which they won four of their first six games.
The ailing Stormers host the Highlanders at Newlands, where the visitors are confident of their first win in Cape Town for eight years.
The Highlanders are coming off a 34-18 victory over the Sharks in Durban while the Stormers are reeling following a 35-22 loss to the Cheetahs.
“The Highlanders have a lot of confidence and they’re playing very well,” Stormers coach Allister Coetzee said.
“We will have to be at our best against a side like this.”
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