Experienced Springboks full-back Willie le Roux will start at fly-half for the Bulls in Saturday’s highly anticipated rescheduled United Rugby Championship (URC) showdown with the Bulls in Cape Town.
In the Bulls’ previous URC match, Le Roux came off the bench and made a big difference during a 30-minute cameo in the Pretoria-based outfit’s 35-22 triumph over the Lions.
The 98-Test Springboks star caught the eye with his lightning-fast identification of space and excellent distribution skills.
Le Roux replaces Boeta Chamberlain at fly-half as one of five changes to the Bulls team which beat the Lions in a URC clash a fortnight ago.
One of five Bulls changes
He will be joined in the halfbacks by Springboks scrum-half Embrose Papier while Devon Williams continues at full-back alongside Sergeal Petersen, who starts on the left wing while another Springboks 2023 World Cup winner Canan Moodie will make his 50th appearance for the Bulls as he lines up in the number 14 jersey.
Meanwhile, David Kriel and Harold Vorster continue as the starting centres while Reinhardt Ludwig and JF van Heerden replace injured Springboks duo Elrigh Louw and Ruan Nortje on the blindside flank and at lock respectively.
Ludwig is joined in the back-row by Cameron Hanekom, who starts at number eight, and Marcell Coetzee packs down on the other flank and also captains the side in Nortje’s absence.
Cobus Wiese is the other lock in the starting line-up and in the final change Jan-Hendrik Wessels takes over from Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop. Joining Wessels in the front-row is fellow Boks Johann Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw, who start at hooker and tighthead prop respectively.
Springboks veteran Willie le Roux to stay on at Bulls with new role on the cards – report
Meanwhile, veteran Springboks tighthead prop Frans Malherbe is back in the Stormers‘ run-on side as one of several changes for their arch rivals’ visit to the DHL Stadium.
Malherbe was a late withdrawal from the Stormers’ matchday squad due to illness shortly before their clash with Leinster at the Aviva Stadium at the end of last month but has been named in the the starting XV as a replacement for Neethling Fouche, who is ruled out with concussion.
Injuries to key players have forced Stormers head coach John Dobson’s hand and apart from Fouche, Ruhan Nel (shoulder), Manie Libbok (knee), JD Schickerling (knee) and Ali Vermaak (leg) have all been ruled out.
That means Wandisile Simelane comes in to midfield where he lines up with the fit-again Dan du Plessis, while there is an all-new halfback pairing of Jurie Matthee and Stefan Ungerer.
The loose trio is unchanged, while in the second-row captain Salmaan Moerat packs down alongside Ruben van Heerden and up front Malherbe and Sti Sithole are the starting props.
The teams
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Jonathan Roche, 23 Clayton Blommetjies
Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Willie le Roux, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johann Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Sebastian de Klerk
Date: Saturday, February 8
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Kick-off: 14:00 local (12:00 GMT)
Referee: Morne Ferreira (SARU)
Assistant Referees: Griffin Colby (SARU), Sean Muller (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/willie-le-roux-to-start-in-new-role-for-bulls-in-rescheduled-urc-derby-against-stormers
