JOHANNESBURG – The Bulls unexpectedly suffered their first loss of the United Rugby Championship to the Glasgow Warriors last week and will be looking to bounce back when they face Irish powerhouse Munster Rugby on Saturday.
Bulls Director of Rugby, Jake White, has announced his match-day 23 for the round 5 clash, with six changes to the side that started against Glasgow. White has given Simphiwe Matanzima a start at loose-head prop, with Johan back at flyhalf and Harold Vorster in the number 12 jersey.
Johan Goosen missed out on last week’s match as a precautionary measure due to the match being played on an artificial surface and the reluctance from management to risk him so soon after he returned from an 11-month injury layoff.
Elsewhere, Mornay Smith slots in at tight-head prop, whilst the second row remains the same, with the only change at open-side flanker, where WJ Steenkamp will get his first run of this season’s European campaign. Embrose Papier (scrumhalf) swaps jerseys with Zak Burger, who will get his run from the bench.
Speaking on the choice of the playing 23, White said the changes were routine.
“We would have changed anyway, and we will probably change for the game against the Sharks too before we go into the break. These changes help keep good morale and motivation for the entire squad.”
The Bulls squad is one of the youngest in the competition and this is something that excites White.
“This weekend will be a good test for us, we are a young side – with players in their early 20s – yet we have done well, far exceeding expectations in the season past and as last season’s finalists we must also consider that other teams will want to up their game against us, perhaps preparing for our games a bit more than they may have done previously,” concluded White.
The Munster clash will kick-off at 20:35pm.
Bulls starting XV to face Munster:
15. Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14. Cornel Hendricks, 13. Lionel Mapoe, 12. Harold Vorster, 11. Wandisile Simelane, 10. Johan Goosen, 9. Embrose Papier, 8. Elrigh Louw, 7. WJ Steenkamp, 6. Marcell Coetzee (c), 5. Run Nortje, 4. Walt Steenkamp, 3. Mornay Smith, 2. Jan-Hendrik Wessels1. Simphiwe Matanzima.
Replacements:
16. Bismarck Du Plessis, 17. Dylan Smith, 18. Jacques van Rooyen, 19. Ruan Vermaak, 20. Marco Van Staden, 21. Zak Burger, 22. Chris Smith, 23. David Kriel
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