Veteran hooker Akker van der Merwe leads a Vodacom Bulls starting XV featuring eight changes to face the Scarlets in Llanelli on Friday night.
In round 5 of the 2024-25 Vodacom URC, the Bulls head to Parc y Scarlets unbeaten in three games and on the back of a bonus-point win against the Ospreys last week.
In the pack, the versatile Jan-Hendrik Wessels will pack down at loosehead prop alongside Van der Merwe, who takes over the captaincy from co-captains Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw.
Cobus Wiese slots in at No 5 in place of Nortje while No 8 Cameron Hanekom will pack down in a loose trio that includes openside flanker Nama Xaba and Reinhardt Ludwig.
At the back, the experienced Henry Immelman comes in for two-time Springbok world champion Willie le Roux while scrumhalf Zak Burger and inside centre Harold Vorster get run out in Wales.
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Dylan Smith, JF van Heerden, Mpilo Gumede and Chris Barend Smit are set to make an impact off the bench.
“They [Scarlets] are the one Welsh team that has beaten us. They did not only beat Cardiff last week but drew with Benetton also, so they are a difficult team that we take seriously,” director of rugby Jake White said.
“Every game we play as a franchise is important. It doesn’t matter whether we are playing at home or away. Whenever we wear our club jersey, there is an expectation to win.
“That doesn’t change whether it’s the second game on tour, we just have to make sure we play as much as we can when we run out onto the field.”
Bulls – 15 Henry Immelman, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Cobus Wiese, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe (c), 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Subs: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 JF van Heerden, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Embrose Papier, 21 Chris Barend Smit, 23 Stedman Gans.
Photo: Paul Harding/Getty Images/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
