The Phakisa Pumas team to face the Vodacom Blue Bulls has been announced.

Pumas coach, Jimmy Stonehouse, has selected his strongest possible match 23 for their final Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked fixture against the Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday, with the side showing seven changes to team that faced the Cell C Sharks in their last match late in October.

The Pumas have eight players unavailable through injury, three players tested positive for Covid-19 last week and key player, Jeandre Rudolph moved to the Cheetahs. 

There is, however, only one change from the starting 15 that was selected for the cancelled match against the Lions last Saturday.  Simon Westraad will not  play and HP van Schoor will wear the number-two jersey.

The Lowvelders will start the match with a new front row in HP van Schoor (hooker), Morgan Naude and Ruan Kramer (props), while Phumzile Maqondwana (flanker) and Willie Engelbrecht (eighthman) will start in the loose trio.

The two changes in the backline are at scrumhalf, where Chriswill September replaces Ginter Smuts, who has been included among the replacements bench. On wing, Luther Obi comes in for the injured Neil Maritz.

Saturday’s encounter in Pretoria marks a significant occasion for Aimee Barrett-Theron, who will become the first female to hold the whistle in a senior premier match in South Africa.  

The match kicks-off at 14:00  

Assistant Referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Cwengile Jadezweni
Television match official: Marius van der Westhuizen    

Vodacom Bulls

15 David Kriel
14 Travis Ismaiel
13 Stedman Gans
12 Cornal Hendricks
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse
10 Chris Smith
9 Ivan van Zyl
8 Duane Vermeulen (c)
7 Arno Botha
6 Marco van Staden
5 Ruan Nortje
4 Walt Steenkamp
3 Trevor Nyakane
2 Corniel  Els
1 Jacques van Rooyen

16 Joe van Zyl
17 Gerhard Steenekamp
18 Marcel van der Merwe
19 Sintu Manjezi
20 Nizaam Carr,
21 Embrose Papier
22 Clinton Swart
23 Marco Jansen van Vuren  

Phakisa Pumas

15 Devon Williams
14 Luther Obi
13 Erich Cronje
12 Wayne van der Bank
11 Etienne Taljaard
10 Theo Boshoff
9 Chriswill September
8 Willem Engelbrecht
7 Phumzile Maqondwana
6 Francois Kleinhans
5 Pieter Jansen van Vuren (c)
4 Darrien Landsburg
3 Ruan Kramer
2 HP van Schoor
1 Morgan Naude

16 Marko Janse van Rensburg
17 IG Prinsloo
18 Brandon Valentyn
19 Daniel Maartens
20 Ginter Smuts
21 Ali Mgijima
22 Tapiwa Mafura
23 Liam Hendricks