Matfield makes 100th match
Sportal.co.nz - (17/03/2010)
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has made just one change to his starting line-up for Saturday's (NZT) Rebel Sport Super 14 encounter against the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld as the defending champions look for an 11th win on the trot.
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Bees Roux is bracketed amongst the substitutes after his facial injury suffered in the build-up to the last game and faces a race against time to be fit.
The game against the New Zealanders will also mark a significant occasion for captain Victor Matfield as he wins his 100th Super Rugby cap.
The Pretoria franchise currently top the table after a 100 percent record from four games in 2010 and the captain is aiming for another win before the side departs for the overseas leg of its schedule.
"We don't play for caps, we play to win trophies," Matfield said.
"Of course it is nice for me, but the bigger picture is what the Bulls must do to stay undefeated. All the teams are improving week by week, so we need to improve as well."
Meanwhile, halfback Heini Adams has been ruled out of the trip to Australia and New Zealand after fracturing a rib, an injury that will keep him sidelined for four weeks.
Ludeke said: "Heini's injury comes at a bad time, as he is a class player.
"We still have two Springbok scrum-halves in Fourie du Preez and Francois Hougaard, but Heini added something extra."
The team leaves for Perth next Tuesday.
Bulls squad: Zane Kirchner; Gerhard van den Heever, Stephan Dippenaar, Wynand Olivier, Francois Hougaard; Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Gurthro Steenkamp, Replacements: Bandise Maku, Bees Roux/Rossouw de Klerk, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuun, Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Pedrie Wannenburg.
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