Paige starts at scrum half, Marcel van der Merwe back in Bulls squad
Frans Ludeke has made several changes to his team for Saturday's crucial Super Rugby match against the Sharks.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke handed scrumhalf Rudy Paige a first Super Rugby start when he named his team to play the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.
All of his nine previous appearances in the competition came via the bench with his elevation to the starting team the only change from the run-on side that came up short against the Hurricanes last weekend.
Paige, who played off the bench in that close defeat, replaces Piet van Zyl, who drops out of the match day squad altogether. Travis Ismaiel comes in for Paige on the bench and should he take to the field, the former Junior Springbok winger will make his debut for the team. Tian Schoeman was also drafted in on the bench with Jacques-Louis Potgieter a late withdrawl as a result of an injury.
“Rudy has been playing well and we feel his game is best suited for this week and opponent,” Ludeke explained.
A fit-again Marcel van der Merwe will also been eased in from the bench.
“We have started poorly, no doubt and we have put ourselves under pressure, even if it is early in the competition,” Ludeke said.
“One cannot really afford to drop any home matches if you have serious title aspirations, so nothing but a win will suffice. We realise the Sharks are one of the best teams in the competition, but we owe it to ourselves and the supporters out there to play to our potential. If we do that, we will be competitive as our squad is certainly good enough.”
Bulls captain Pierre Spies feels his team can turn the season around.
“We have lost to ourselves as much as our opponents so far. We need to eliminate the soft moments from our game and make sure we execute. It is going to be a tough battle, a typical local derby, but we are ready for this challenge,” Spies said.
The Bulls team to play the Sharks is (with Super caps): Jesse Kriel (3), Bjorn Basson (73), JJ Engelbrecht (51), Jan Serfontein (30), Francois Hougaard (74), Handrè Pollard (15), Rudy Paige (9), Pierre Spies (c, 105), Lappies Labuschagne (29), Deon Stegmann (81), VictorMatfield (140), Jacques du Plessis (17), Trevor Nyakane (44), Adriaan Strauss (107), Mornè Mellett (26). Replacements: Callie Visagie (40), Dean Greyling(55), Marcel van der Merwe (19), Grant Hattingh (36), Hanro Liebenberg (1),Tian Schoeman (0), Travis Ismaiel (0), Jurgen Visser (26).
