Jake White has extolled the value of having an experienced and Bok-laden matchday 23 for the Vodacom Bulls’ opening clash of 2024-25 URC campaign on Saturday.
Boks Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw on Friday were announced as Bulls co-captains for this season, but Akker van der Merwe will lead the Herd against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld this week.
He packs down in the front row with fellow Springbok powerhouse Wilco Louw and Alulutho Tshakweni, who is one of four players in line to make their URC debut for the Pretoria outfit.
World Cup winner Canan Moodie starts at right wing, while White has opted for a five-three split on bench that features Boks Johan Grobbelaar and Marcell Coetzee.
“I am happy that we have a lot of Bulls guys playing for the Springboks and it is nice to have Canan and Grobbies back because they have international experience, and they can bring that back to us and the more players we can have with international experience and the kind of pressure they have experienced at that level will help us in our environment,” director of rugby White said.
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Bok scrumhalf Embrose Papier starts with former Scotland playmaker Jaco van der Walt at 10. On flyhalf Johan Goosen’s absence and Van der Walt starting at 10, White explains, “It is quite nice to have Jaco available for us against Edinburgh, a club where he was and will know a lot of their players.
“He is an international player, which is why we signed him and Boeta [Chamberlain] so that a guy like Goosen does not have to play 80 minutes each week.”
Alongside the halfbacks will be Chris Barend Smit and Stedman Gans in the midfield, with last season’s standout centre for the Bulls, David Kriel, set to run out at fullback.
“David was at fullback before I moved him to centre and a guy like Barend Smit had a brilliant Currie Cup so he deserves a start which gives me flexibility with the backs that we have,” White said.
“The back three is [also] important for us this weekend and how we want to play with the specific skill set that they have. Then you have a guy like Aphiwe [Dyanthi] on the bench which gives you the confidence going into the match.”
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
