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The future of Super Rugby 2020 looks bleak as each week passes, teams are less likely to return to the park this year.
Register your interest for the British and Irish Lions entries in South Africa 2021
The impact of the coronavirus has been felt worldwide, and rugby has not been spared.
A look at the list of matches in 2020 reveals that, this Saturday, the Bulls the Lions at Loftus Versfeld in a local derby that is rich in history.
It promised to be an intriguing clash as both franchises, once proud, struggled this season before the tournament was suspended after Round 7.
However, a memory lane trip tells a story of happier times for both unions.
The Bulls won Super Rugby three times between 2007 and 2010, while the Lions were runners-up three times in a row between 2016 and 2018.
With that in mind, the Sport24 The team thought this was the ideal time to hit the best XV of all time for both franchises.
Remember, this is based on your Super Rugby history! In the case of the Lions, the players representing the cats were also considered available for selection.
In this ‘selector’ game, Herman Mostert chose a side of the Bulls, while Lloyd Burnard named a lineup of Lions.
Who do you think would have won this match?
BULLS
fifteen – Zane Kirchner. A highly underrated player who too often overcame unfair criticism. The Springbok with 31 test points was heard well and its prodigious tactical boot played a major role in the Bulls’ victorious seasons in 2009 and 2010.
14 – An unconditional forgotten of the early days of Super 12, the versatile Jacques Olivier He was instrumental in helping Northern Transvaal reach the opening season semifinals in 1996. He played 17 tests and had an unbeatable pace and skill set. (He had to sneak it out on the right wing.)
13 – Andre Snyman He was another star from the early days of Super 12. The Springbok had all the attributes required for a modern center: big, strong, and fast with an eye for a hole.
12 – A test scoring machine, Ettienne Botha He wasn’t your stereotypical Bulls midfielder. He had an eye for a hole and intended to attack spaces instead of man. He scored lots of tries, had a big turn and a side step, and was deceptively quick for an inside center. If it hadn’t been for his untimely death at age 26 in a car accident in 2005, he could have become a Springbok.
11 – Probably one of the easiest options, the legend of Springbok Bryan Habana It was another test scoring machine with a beat to burn. He scored the game-winning attempt after the whistle in the 2007 final in Durban and was instrumental once again with a couple of attempts in the 2009 final when the Chiefs were wiped out 61-17.
10 – Derick Hougaard and Handre Pollard deserve notable mentions, but my No. 10 jersey is going to Morne steyn, who was the pivot of the Bulls during his best period in the competition. Steyn’s deadly precise boot always kept the score in the Bulls’ favor and his temper under pressure was impressive.
9 – You have to be good enough to outshine the very late Joost van der Westhuizen, but Fourie du Preez’s Tactical genius gives scrumhalf the go-ahead. As is the case with Steyn, her calm demeanor was vital. The sign of a good player is always one that seems to have a long time under pressure and Du Preez was exactly that …
8 – Pierre spies He has athleticism and speed that not many could match and was a ubiquitous figure on the 2007, 2009, and 2010 Bulls champion teams.
7 – Every great team needs a versatile old warhorse and Danie Rossouw It fit that description on a T-shirt No one will ever forget his role as a loose forward in the 2007 World Cup final, including the potentially life-saving game tackle of Englishman Mark Cueto, but he was equally valuable in the Bulls’ cause during his golden era of the late decade. from 2000.
6 – The afternoon Ruben Kruger He was a nail-hard flanker, but he had a great game complete with an excellent set of skills. The 1995 World Cup winner was called the “silent killer” while speaking on the field. Her life was tragically cut short when she died of brain cancer, at age 39 in 2010.
5- pattern Victor Matfield He was a great leader and a genius at the time of the lineout. He will come down as a great player of all time in the Bulls and Springbok circles.
4 – Bakkies Botha. The toughest man in South African rugby and his mere presence inflicted fear on the opposition. His combination with Matfield, at the test and provincial level, will forever be described as legendary.
3 – He played most of his rugby just before the Bulls’ title race, but Richard Bands It stood out during a difficult time for Pretoria’s men. A strong and fairly mobile scrummager too, who will forget his wonderful attempt against the All Blacks at Dunedin in 2003?
two- Gary Botha, the Bulls’ prostitute in two of her final wins (2007 and 2010), will be remembered for her precision at the time of the lineout, as well as her hard work on the ground, almost acting as an extra loose forward.
1 – It’s hard not to pick a loose head accessory that played in three Super Rugby winning finals, and therefore 53 Springboks with trial Gurthro Steenkamp It was an easy choice.
LIONS
fifteen – Andries Coetzee was the man behind the Lions during his recent golden period, but I’m going for Gavin johnson here. The 1995 World Cup winner scored scores of points for the Lions in the mid-to-late 1990s. He always ran sounding lines and had an excellent boot, both in goal and out of control.
14 – A left wing naturally, Ashwin Willemse scrolls to the right for this. He made a name for himself as one of the best finalists in South Africa during a time when the Lions were fighting and played 19 test games for the Springboks.
13 – He was part of a team of Lions that underperformed his team from 2003 to 2009, but the natural ability and pedigree of Check Fourie make it impossible to ignore. Add power to any midfield.
12 – There were other options, but for me. Gcobani Bobo It is one of the most underrated centers South African rugby has ever seen. An explosion of pace, strength at tackle and ability to discharge were the hallmarks. I would have loved to see him operate on the side of the Lions that threatened to win titles.
eleven – There aren’t many of the 2016-2018 classes remaining at Ellis Park, but Courtnall Skosan It is one of them. He scored tries to have fun during that period in which he established himself as one of the most natural extremes in the country. Bok honors naturally followed.
10 – The general throughout the final race of the Lions, Elton Jantjies It is the only option here. Over the years, he has become one of the most entrepreneurial game makers in the tournament and will leave like a great Lions when he leaves.
9 9 – Now exercising his trade abroad, Klerk’s Faf It was a fan favorite at Ellis Park. He worked beautifully with Jantjies and had a natural x factor that, combined with his creative freedom, caused countless attacks on his side.
8 – Warren Whiteley Captain on this side. Injuries shortened his career, but Whiteley’s leadership was key to the Lions’ culture when they were successful between 2016 and 2018, while he was the perfect link between forwards and rear.
7 7 – It can be one with the earth and isolate itself in Costa Rica these days, but few will forget the impact Joe van Niekerk had in South African rugby. Physical but skillful, fast and dynamic, Van Niekerk ended up winning 52 caps for the Springboks.
6 6 – Francois Pienaar is chosen here solely for his ability to play. It was huge for the Lions in the early Super 12 years.
5 5 – There are few test teams in the world that would not give Franco Mostert his No. 5 jersey. An imposing figure, he has become one of the best in the world in his position and much of that development occurred during his time in the Lions through which he displayed a superhuman work rate.
4 4 – By pure intimidation and physicality factor, Kobus Wiese break the assent in my second row. No one could guess how he would have faced in the modern era, but Wiese was a specimen during his game days.
3 – After spending seven full seasons at the Lions, Ruan Dreyer He was also a key part of the side that challenged the title between 2016-2018, starting two of those three finals. He has won four test limits, a feat not insignificant given South Africa’s depth at close range.
two – James Dalton came closer, but it’s easy to forget what a powerful force Malcolm Marx He has been not only in South African rugby, but in world rugby in recent years. His muscle in all departments, but particularly on the ground, gives him the advantage over most.
1 – Lawrence Sephaka, with 24 trial caps, was close to entering here but Jacques van Rooyen played in all three Lions finals. The side’s game plan focused on being expansive, but the front row work during that time was paramount in laying the groundwork.
