Curwin Bosch will make his URC debut for the Bulls against Zebre Parma in Italy on Saturday.
The former Sharks and Brive flyhalf has recovered from the calf injury he suffered against the All Blacks at Loftus last month.
He will start at 10 in a new halfback combination with Paul de Wet, who gets the No 9 jersey in the absence of Embrose Papier.
Papier was ruled out of the Bulls’ two-match tour to Italy and Ireland after suffering an ankle injury in training.
Willie le Roux starts at fullback, with Sebastian de Klerk making his return from a long-term injury on the right wing and Stravino Jacobs completing the back three. Harold Vorster and Stedman Gans combine in midfield.
Up front, Marcell Coetzee captains the Bulls from openside flank, with blindside Hanro Liebenberg and No 8 Jeandré Rudolph completing the loose trio.
MARCELL: Bulls ready to end URC final hoodoo
Alu Tshakweni and Francois Klopper start at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively, with Juann Else at hooker.
Among the options from the bench are experienced loose forward Nizaam Carr, scrumhalf Zak Burger and young lock JF van Heerden.
The Bulls have never lost to Zebre, winning the last meeting between the teams 54-19 at Loftus in May. They have also won their opening URC fixture in each of the last four seasons, and have lost only once in their last five trips to Italy.
MORE: Ackers wary of ‘hungry’ Zebre
BULLS – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Curwin Bosch, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Juann Else, 1 Alu Tshakweni.
Bench: 16 Janco Uys, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 JF van Heerden, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Cheswill Jooste, 23 Hakeem Kunene.
ZEBRE PARMA – 15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Mirko Belloni, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Damiano Mazza, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Alessandro Fusco (c), 8 Giovanni Licata, 7 Samuele Locatelli, 6 Giacomo Ferrari, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Matteo Canali, 3 Juan Ignacio Castellano, 2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Federico Pisani.
Bench: 16 Francisco Minervino, 17 Sergio Pelliccioli, 18 Filippo Alongi, 19 Franco Carrera, 20 Davide Ruggeri, 21 Thomas Dominguez, 22 Marco Zanon, 23 Giovanni Montemauri.
Photo: Vodacom Bulls
The post Bulls back new halfback combo appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Curwin Bosch will make his URC debut for the Bulls against Zebre Parma in Italy on Saturday.
The post Bulls back new halfback combo appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
