The Vodacom Bulls have made a few positional changes as well as personnel for their Round 13 United Rugby Championship clash against Irish outfit Leinster Rugby.
The two titanic sides will battle it out at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday (5pm kick-off) in a rematch of the 2023/24 semi-final as the clubs look to consolidate their log standings in the run towards the knockout phase of the competition.
Tickets for the clash start from R50 and are available from Ticketpro. The day at Loftus starts at midday when the women’s double Women's Premier Division champions, the Bulls daisies, take on the ladies from the Free State.
Director of Rugby, Jake White has assembled a front row that sees Alulutho Tshakweni, Akker van der Merwe and Wilco Louw combine to lead the charge against the side out of Dublin.
Behind them, Ruan Vermaak and JF van Heerden link up on lock duties with skipper Marcell Coetzee and Jannes Kirsten at loose forward. The return to full fitness of the boisterous Cameron Hanekom will see him add impetus at No 8.
At half-back, White has paired up scrumhalf Embrose Papier and the versatile Keagan Johannes, who will be marshalling the troops from flyhalf.
In the absence of Springbok winger Canan Moodie, there is a return to action for Stravino ‘Rocket Man’ Jacobs, who starts at left wing, complementing fellow speed-king Sebastian de Klerk on the right side of the fortress.
In-between the fast movers will be centre duo of David Kriel and Harold Vorster, with the wise Willie le Roux back at fullback.
White has gone with a six-two split impact squad that features Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-hendrik Wessels, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marco van Staden, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger and Devon Williams.
Springbok World Cup-winning coach and assistant coach of the visiting side, Jacques Nienabar, says the match will be a closely contested test. “The Vodacom Bulls are a star-studded side. The squad that Jake has built is a full-on international squad, bar one or two positions and even those positions, they are not too far out the radar of the National selectors.
“It will be a Test match-like intensity kind of match, that is what we expect this weekend.”
Vodacom Bulls starting XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs; 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Embrose Papier; 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Marcell Coetzee (capt); 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak; 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni. Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Jan-hendrik Wessels, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Nizaam Carr, 22 Zak Burger, 23 Devon Williams.
SATURDAY
Vodacom Bulls v Leinster
Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria – KO 3pm IRE & UK/4pm ITA/5pm SA
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (WRU, 106th league game)
AR 1: Cwengile Jadezweni (SARU) AR 2: Sean Muller (SARU)
TMO: Ben Breakspear (WRU)
Live on: SuperSport, RTÉ, Premier Sports, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
Comments