Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke recalled Springbok wingers Akona Ndungane and Bjorn Basson to his team to face the EP Kings in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday.

They replace Sampie Mastriet and Jamba Ulengo from the starting team against the Golden Lions a week ago and are two of three changes to the backline for the East Coast clash.

In another rotational move, Piet van Zyl will start at scrumhalf, with Rudy Paige moving to the bench.

Ludeke selected the same starting pack that excelled against the Golden Lions.

He did tweak his bench though with William Small-Smith (for Ryan Nell) coming back to the team as replacement. Bandise Maku will also deputise for Bongi Mbonambi with Callie Visagie rested. Tian Schoeman is bracketed with Tony Jantjies, who will undergo a fitness test before departure to Port Elizabeth.

“We have finally picked up some momentum in the competition and it is important to keep that going. To have two Springboks in Akona and Bjorn coming back to full fitness is also great and I have no doubt that they will play a big role in our effort needed against a very capable Kings side,” Ludeke said.

“We delivered a good performance against the Lions, but now need to justify that with another one against the Kings. They may be winless, but is playing a brand of rugby that will demand only the best from our defence. We will have to be sharp to beat them,” Ludeke said.

The team to play EP is:

15. Ulrich Beyers, 14. Akona Ndungane, 13. JJ Engelbrecht, 12. Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10. Jacques Louis Potgieter, 9. Piet van Zyl, 8. Jono Ross, 7. Jacques du Plessis, 6. Deon Stegmann (kaptein), 5. Grant Hattingh, 4. Paul Willemse, 3. Werner Kruger, 2. Bongi Mbonambi, 1. Dean Greyling

Replacements: 16. Bandise Maku, 17. Basil Short, 18. Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19. Jacques Engelbrecht, 20. Rudi Paige, 21. Tian Schoeman/Tony Jantjies, 22. William Small-Smith.