Armed with a host of former Bulls players, GWK Griquas named a strong team for their Absa Currie Cup opener against the Vodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.

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While the Peacock Blues received their Cheetah stalwarts – in particular fullback /wing Willie le Roux and flanker Justin Downey – back for the clash, the more intruiging selections come in the form of the former Bulls that will run out against their old province on Friday night.

Considering Griquas posted convincing home and away victories over a young Blue Bulls side in the Vodacom Cup, beat them in Kimberley in the Currie Cup last season and are always dangerous with the Springboks missing from the Pretoria side, they will definitely not arrive at Loftus Versfeld as the underdogs they claim to be.

For while they have the likes of former Bulls Rocco Jansen and Francois Brummer – the latter will be particularly keen to have a good game after not being offered a contract by the Bulls last season – they have also spiced up their backline with the likes of Stefan Watermeyer and JP Nel.

Watermeyer left the Bulls rather suddenly last season after a disciplinary incident, and spend the next few months in Cardiff before returning home at the end of the European season while Nel recently returned from a two-year stint in Japanese rugby and will be at Griquas before taking up a contract at a French club later in the year.

Add to the mix former Sharks winger Luzuko Vulindlu and lock Martin Muller, who is fit again and the Griqua team looks a lot stronger than many give them credit for.

GWK GRIQUAS: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Luzuko Vulindlu, 13 JP Nel, 12 Stephan Watermeyer, 11 Rocco Jansen, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Jacques Coetzee, 8 Leon Karemaker, 7 Jonathan Adendorff, 6 Justin Downey, 5 Marin Muller, 4 Ligtoring Landman, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Rayno Barnes, 1 Stef Roberts
Replacements: 16 Matthew Dobson, 17 Hanru van Niekerk, 18 Frikkie Spies, 19 Jaco Nepgen, 20 Marnus Hugo, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Wilmaure Louw.