The Bulls have announced a nearly full strength team to take on the defending Champions this weekend.
Francois Hougaard and Johann Sadie is back in the Vodacom Bulls team that will play the Reds in a Vodacom Super Rugby match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Hougaard is available again after missing the Blues game due to suspension and Sadie has recovered from a shoulder injury that kept him out of the Cheetahs and Blues matches.
Their inclusions are the only two changes in the starting line-up for coach Frans Ludeke.
Hougaard replaces Jano Vermaak, who moves to the bench and Sadie will replace Francois Venter. Sadie will play at outside centre and Wynand Olivier at inside centre.
CJ Stander, who replaced Deon Stegmann shortly before the Blues match, will continue in that role with Stegmann still having discomfort from a strained hamstring.
Arno Botha is the new replacement loose forward in place of Gerrit-Jan van Velze. The 20 year old Botha has recovered from a back injury and proved his fitness for the Blue Bulls against the Pumas in a Vodacom Cup game last week. He will make his Super Rugby debut, should he take to the field.
Ludeke said the Reds will be their biggest challenge so far this season.
“They are the champions and that will be how high the bar will be set. We will have to deliver a championship performance if we want to beat them. The effort against the Blues was below par and we know that. We worked hard to be accurate on the weekend and to create and convert chances.”
Team (Super Rugby caps in brackets): 15 Zane Kirchner (57), 14 Akona Ndungane (70), 13 Johann Sadie (8), 12 Wynand Olivier (89), 11 Bjorn Basson (28), 10 Morné Steyn (92), 9 Francois Hougaard (31), 8 Pierre Spies (75, Captain), 7 Jacques Potgieter (3), 6 CJ Stander (3), 5 Juandré Kruger (3), 4 Flip van der Merwe (37), 3 Werner Kruger (61), 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (38), 1 Dean Greyling (18).
Replacements: Willie Wepener (43), Frik Kirsten (5), Wilhelm Steenkamp (39), Arno Botha (0)*, Jano Vermaak (75), Louis Fouché (3), JJ Engelbrecht (3).
10@ Loosehead:
11@ grootblousmile:
Probably a bit late to comment and maybe wee bit pedantic too but come on guys facts are facts Bulls have NEVER won the Super 15.
Glad to see Hougie back…love to watch the bloke play. Could see real remorse on his face when he realised he made a booboo.
Can’t wait for this season’s internationals against the Northern hemisphere. We have so much available young talent..guys eager to impress…can’t wait to see what the new bok coach will do. Since winning the 6 nations, the Welsh again feel they are God’s gift to rugby and I’ve read on more than one blog that some of their supporters recon that not even the AB’s will be able to beat them in a couple of years. The Brits has been doing really well under Lancaster…always said MJ was a great player, but not a coach. He tried to rule with an iron fist, sticking to the olds ways…..recipe for disaster. The Scots are almost there. Hope AR stay on a little bit longer….they almost got right. The Irish, well….I think they are just about where the English were 5 years ago…going nowhere fast.
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