The Bulls have made significant switches to their forward pack for Saturday’s URC encounter against Ulster at Loftus Versfeld.
Having recovered from a knee injury, Marcell Coetzee starts at openside flank while resuming the captaincy, which sees Elrigh Louw move to No 8 and Hanro Liebenberg step in at blindside. This shift pushes last week’s starting back-row duo of Marco van Staden and Cameron Hanekom to a loaded bench.
The tight five has undergone a complete refresh.
Last week’s starting front row of Alu Tshakweni, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Khutha Mchunu makes way for a brand-new trio. Gerhard Steenekamp and Francois Klopper step up from the bench to start at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively, flanking hooker Johan Grobbelaar.
In the second row, Ruan Vermaak and Reinhardt Ludwig reunite at lock, with Cobus Wiese shifting to the bench and JF van Heerden dropping out of the match 23.
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In stark contrast to the set-piece overall, coach Johann Ackermann has opted for consistency in the starting backline.
Handré Pollard and Paul de Wet continue as the halfback pairing, directing an unchanged back division featuring Harold Vorster and Sango Xamlashe in the midfield, Cheswill Jooste and Sebastian de Klerk on the wings, and Luan Giliomee at fullback.
The replacements feature plenty of firepower and fresh options.
Alongside the experience of Van Staden, Hanekom, Wiese, Tshakweni and Mchunu among the forward reserves, Zak Burger comes in to cover scrumhalf.
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Curwin Bosch and new signing Dylan Maart are also introduced to the bench, taking over the backline cover from Embrose Papier, Stravino Jacobs and Willie le Roux.
BULLS – 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Sango Xamlashe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Cheswill Jooste, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Reinhardt Ludwig, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Curwin Bosch, 23 Dylan Maart.
Photo: @BlueBullsRugby/X
The post Captain Coetzee returns as Bulls shuffle pack appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The Bulls have made significant switches to their forward pack for Saturday’s URC encounter against Ulster at Loftus Versfeld.
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