Jake White has reinforced the Vodacom Bulls starting lineup for the top-of-the-table clash in the Vodacom URC against Leinster at the RDS Arena on Friday night.
The second-placed Bulls are back in Dublin to face leaders Leinster for the first time since their 2021-22 meeting in the semi-finals of the inaugural URC, which White’s charges won 27-26.
The visitors will have a fresh centre pair as David Kriel returns at inside centre, with Canan Moodie retained at No 13.
Scrumhalf Embrose Papier and flyhalf Johan Goosen form the halfback combination, with Zak Burger and Chris Smith rotating to the bench.
Kurt-Lee Arendse shifts to the right wing in the absence of Sebastian de Klerk, who has been ruled out with a head knock, with Devon Williams promoted to the run-on XV.
There are just two changes to the pack, as blindside flanker Elrigh Louw comes in for Mpilo Gumede and Akker van der Merwe replaces Jan-Hendrik Wessels at hooker.
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Gumede, Johan Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Morne Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig and Harold Vorster are set to make an impact off the wood.
White says the match will be a great opportunity to test the progress of his men and a great advert for the competition.
“We have trained well and the guys who had niggles earlier in the week are all available except for Sebastian, who had a bit of a knock to his head last week,” he said.
“I am told that this will be played out in front of a sold-out crowd which sends a good message to our team. It means that we are doing something right, it means that people want to see the Bulls play and it means that we are able to draw crowds to games,”
“It will be a big game. It is a one playing two and I am positively confident that all their big guns will be out as well.”
He added: “They are an incredible team, one of the best clubs in the world and this group of players have played in many big games, test matches included. So I am not for one minute underestimating the magnitude of this one-versus-two clash in front of a sold-out audience.”
“This is a great opportunity for us to measure ourselves against one of the strongest, in-form teams over the past couple of years. This will give me and the coaches a good chance to see where we have grown over the last couple of seasons.”
On the game and how his side would approach it, the Bulls director of rugby said: “We must at least give ourselves a chance, we don’t want to come here and not fire a shot. This is a great opportunity for us to give it a go,”
“We also are going to have to match them, they are a really good team. We will have to match them in areas where they are really good and we are going to have to stop them from doing what they want to do as well. The one thing we have seen is that when they get going and get the game flowing with the rhythm they want to play, they are as good if not better than any team we have ever played against,”
“It will not be like a heavyweight boxing fight where you go toe-to-toe but I think it is a reality of being smart and it will be a case of taking your opportunities. An opportunity not just on the field but to also measure yourself against one of the best teams there has been over the past couple of years.”
Bulls – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 David Kriel, 11 Devon Williams, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Marcell Coetzee (co-capt), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (co-capt), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Morne Smith, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Harold Vorster.
Photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
