Bulls coach Nomlomo makes bold move by shifting Chamberlain to fullback for Currie Cup clash
Chamberlain was the Player of the Match last week when the Bulls crushed Western Province, but his reward is a move to fullback, with Jaco van der Walt starting in the key position.
With a handful of players nursing injuries, Nomlomo also opted for a front-row change — Juann Else comes in for Joe van Zyl at hooker.
In a notable selection, former Springbok Aphiwe Dyantyi starts in the No. 14 jersey. Dyantyi has been working to relaunch his career after a two-year ban incurred when he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The former Lions player made a comeback for the Sharks last year, but after failing to make their United Rugby Championship squad, he moved to the Bulls.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
6 minutes ago
- IOL News
Levy hoping 80-minute performance is just around the corner for Western Province
Western Province coach Labeeb Levy feels his players are starting to gel despite two losses on the trot in the Currie Cup Premier Division. Image: Backpagepix Western Province coach Labeeb Levy is hoping his Currie Cup charges can kick on and become an 80-minute team after they looked like they could cause an upset in the second half of Saturday's 40-19 away defeat to the Lions, before fading on the Highveld. The Joburgers led 21-12 at half-time at Ellis Park and extended their lead with another try early in the second half. Province stuck to their attacking game plan and came back at the Lions. Their third and final try of the match brought them within nine points of the home side in the 53rd minute, as they threatened to pull off a surprise result. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'I was happy at that stage of the game,' Levy said. 'It was 28-19 and we were actually on the attack, but then we lost a breakdown penalty and they came back and obviously scored again. 'We just kept telling the guys: just keep going, just keep fighting. Try to get that fourth try.' The tone for the match was set early on, with WP opting to run from their own 22. 'It was part of the plan — to be adventurous, to take the game to them, to strike first — and the boys got energy from it and obviously capitalised by scoring first. Just a few of the passes didn't stick, a few of the conversions didn't stick. But I'm happy for the boys,' Levy said at the post-match media conference. 'We asked them to come out fighting and they did. We scored first. We probably should have scored immediately after that, but then they scored.' It was ultimately a match of missed opportunities for the Province mentor, who is still searching for his first point of the season after two losses. Failure to convert several 22-metre entries into points harmed their cause on Saturday afternoon. 'In the second half we weren't as clinical as we could have been in the first. But we're a new team, a new group — we've only been together for about six weeks — so I'm massively proud of the boys,' he said. 'Conversion-wise there were opportunities we did not put away, but it's just that little bit of synergy that we're working on — getting combos together in training in order to convert those. We need to work on being a bit more clinical.
IOL News
36 minutes ago
- IOL News
Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou embraces pressure as Orlando Pirates aim for trophies
Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates is swamped by teammates after scoring in the quarter-finals of the MTN8 at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. Photo: BackpagePix Image: Backpagepix Orlando Pirates' new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is relishing the pressure that comes with the expectations of challenging for all the trophies up for grabs this season. Ouaddou ushered in a new era at Pirates on Saturday afternoon, following the departure of his predecessor Jose Rivero. And that got off to a flying start as his side beat Polokwane City 2-0 in the MTN8 quarter-final and reached a fourth successive semi-final in the competition. It was a crucial win that saw them take a step closer to winning a record-extending fourth Wafa Wafa crown, following three successive triumphs under Riveiro. Winning cup competitions is expected to be a standard for Ouaddou, after Riveiro's strides, which is why bagging the league is the ultimate target for the Moroccan. The last time Pirates were crowned the kings of local football was during the 2011/12 season under Augusto Palacios, who was serving on an interim basis. Ouaddou is not fazed by the expectations that come with knocking Mamelodi Sundowns, who've won the league for the last eight seasons, off their perch, though. 'It's a positive pressure, I must say,' Ouaddou said. 'When you put your feet in such a big club on the continent, the board doesn't bring you here just to chill. 'I know the expectations of the fans, and board. I'll do my best to reach the target. The players know they've done a good job from three years ago, and we need to keep going.' Orlando Pirates' new coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, right. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The club has also ensured that Ouaddou has enough tools at his disposal to build on the foundation that has been laid by Riveiro, bolstering the squad in the last few weeks. Since the opening of the winter transfer window, Pirates have signed at least 11 players, including talisman Sipho Mbule and Oswin Appollis. Mbule and Appollis started when they beat Polokwane at Orlando, and the latter scored the opening goal and eventually walked away with the Player of the Match award. The arrival of the new players boosts Ouaddou's title aspirations as he believes that they'll fit into his philosophy. 'We have the tools - I think the club gave me the possibilities of getting success,' Ouaddou explained. 'I am very happy, and proud of the quality of players that I have. Of course, every weekend, I have to find the lineup. But it's a good problem for me, I am a happy coach. 'I don't want to go deep into my philosophy because if I have to explain it to you, I think we'll sit for an hour to two, going through it. I like a positional and direct game, and I want my team to be able to play a positional game, but to be direct and strong defensively. I want them to have all the qualities. 'I need some time to explain it (my philosophy) to you, to be honest. My playbook and game model is 90 slides.' Ouaddou has been pleased with how hard the players have been working to ensure that they impress him, which is why he's selecting his matchday squad based on merit. 'We have to give a chance to people that deserve it. I don't want to give chances because I want to please people,' Ouaddou explained. 'When I give you a chance, it's because you've shown me in training (that you deserve it). So, I have seen that you can bring something into the team. 'All the guys that you've seen (today), it's because they showed me something during the pre-season.'
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Sharks will rise again, says JP Pietersen after Currie Cup annihilation at the hands of the Bulls
JP Pietersen is looking for answers after a bruising 64-0 Currie Cup loss to the Bulls at Loftus — the biggest defeat in the rivalry's history. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix A proud former Springbok, JP Pietersen cut a disconsolate figure after his Sharks side were smashed 64-0 by the Bulls in a second-round Currie Cup fixture at the weekend. What made it worse was having to sift through the wreckage in search of positives. Sharks director of rugby John Plumtree has tasked Pietersen with treating the Currie Cup as a development platform to unearth players capable of competing in the United Rugby Championship (URC). While that broader vision holds merit, it doesn't make the weekly hammerings any easier to bear. Pietersen has effectively been asked to take boys into battle against men — and it shows. The Sharks have conceded more than 100 points in two games, and the scale of the Bulls' demolition job was the heaviest defeat between the sides in the tournament's history. The bigger challenge is public perception. Sharks fans, largely unmoved by long-term planning, only see the scoreboard — and their frustration is mounting. 'It is a tough one,' Pietersen said with considerable understatement. 'Our chief objective is to develop players. The URC is a long season, and the Sharks want to increase their depth. A number of our players will be away with the Springboks. 'Our opponents over the last two weeks, the Lions and the Bulls, maybe see things differently if you look at their starting line-ups.' The plan, as Pietersen explains, is to find players now who can tour Europe when the URC resumes. 'We have goals to win the URC and/or the Champions Cup,' he said. 'Plum is looking for players capable of touring in the URC after the Currie Cup. Discovering players up to that task is our chief objective.' There were, at least, small flickers of defiance in the closing stages at Loftus. With fears mounting that the Bulls might hit triple figures, the Sharks rallied to stem the bleeding. 'We were better in the final quarter,' Pietersen acknowledged. 'Will we turn it around? I believe we will. There will always be a fight from us. We will have a full crack at the Cheetahs next week in Durban. 'As a coach, you hurt for the players. It is hard to see your players broken in the change room.' Pietersen admitted his side had been physically dominated.
