Burger on Bulls debut
Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke named 21-year old Burger Odendaal at inside centre for his side's opening match of the Currie Cup season against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Odendaal, who was schooled at Monument High in Krugersdorp and represented Golden Lions at the Under-18 Craven Week in 2011, will make his Currie Cup debut for the team, having already played for the Blue Bulls at Under-19, Under-21 and Vodacom Cup level from 2012.
Ludeke named an experienced starting team with all but Odendaal, newly named captain Deon Stegmann and flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter having played for the Blue Bulls in the 2013 Currie Cup season.
Stegmann missed last season's campaign due to injury and last played in 2012.
Potgieter was still playing in France in 2013, but has represented the Blue Bulls at this level in 2005 to 2007 and 2010.
Ludeke named two newcomers on the bench as well – with 20-year olds Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Jesse Kriel set to make their Currie Cup debuts if they take to the field.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Sampie Mastriet, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Jono Ross, 6 Deon Stegmann (captain), 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Wiaan Liebenberg, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Tony Jantjies, 22 Jesse Kriel.
Date: Saturday, August 9
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry, Ben Crouse
TMO: Johan Greeff
