Bulls coach Frans Ludeke reshuffled his pack of forwards and recalled Handré Pollard at flyhalf for his team to face the Sharks in Durban on Saturday, while center Jan Serfontein could still not be declared fit for this important match.

Pollard, who replaces Jacques-Louis Potgieter in the only change to the backline that won against the Reds in their SupeRugby clash last weekend, was rested last week as per SA Rugby Union arrangement. According to Ludeke, Jan Serfontein is still struggling with a hip injury, and was not considered for the Sharks clash.

In the pack Ludeke has Adriaan Strauss back after the hooker was also rested against the Reds, while he also picked a new loose trio, lock combination and front row to face the coastal side in the visitors’ first return match in the South African conference. In the front row, Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe will start with Dean Greyling, moving Callie Visagie and Trevor Nyakane to the bench.

The lock combination of Flip van der Merwe and Grant Hattingh will pack down together for the first time this year, with Jacques du Plessis moving to the side of the scrum, where he will partner Deon Stegmann and Pierre Spies. A fit-again Lappies Labuschagne will start from the bench, alongside Arno Botha, who started at seven against the Reds. Hanro Liebenberg, Jaco Visagie and Potgieter are not involved this week.

“It will be a massive challenge for us, so to have the likes of Handré, Adriaan and Lappies back is great. We will be facing a Sharks team that will be hurting and desperate to redeem themselves at home and I think it is fair to say this will be our toughest assignment this year,” said Ludeke.

Bulls captain Pierre Spies is keen for his side to do well away from home. “We will have to show the ability to win away from home consistently if we want to remain in the competition. Durban is a tough place to play and with so much at stake in the SA conference, we really cannot afford to play average rugby. This is going to be an epic local derby and we need to front up,” Spies said.

The team to play the Sharks (with SupeRugby caps) is: Jesse Kriel (9), Francois Hougaard (80), JJ Engelbrecht (57), Burger Odendaal (3), Bjorn Basson (79), Handré Pollard (19), Rudy Paige (15), Pierre Spies (c, 111), Jacques du Plessis (23), Deon Stegmann (87), Grant Hattingh (42), Flip van der Merwe (73), Marcel van der Merwe (25), Adriaan Strauss (112), Dean Greyling (61). Replacements: Callie Visagie (43), Morné Mellett (32), Trevor Nyakane (50), Arno Botha (25), Lappies Labuschagne (32), Piet van Zyl (51), Tian Schoeman (2), Jurgen Visser (28).

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De Beer in first start for Vodacom Blue Bulls

Meanwhile former SA schools flyhalf Thinus de Beer, who was still a schoolboy at Hoërskool Waterkloof six months ago, will make his first start for the Blue Bulls when they take on the Griffons in Pretoria on Friday.

De Beer, who made his Vodacom Cup debut in Windhoek last weekend, played off the bench against Namibia and will now start instead of Kobus Marais, who moves to the bench for this clash. The young flyhalf, who helped the Tuks Young Guns to the national title two weeks ago in the Varsity Cup competition, is one of three changes made by coach Nollis Marais to the starting team that played in Windhoek.

Clyde Davids will start at eighth man in place of Jacques Engelbrecht and Basil Short moves to loose-head, with Andrew Beerwinkel slotting in at tight-head prop and Justin Forwood dropping out of the match day squad.

The Blue Bulls team is: Kefentse Mahlo, Jade Stighling, Marquit September, Daniel Kriel, Jamba Ulengo, Thinus de Beer, Andre Warner, Clyde Davids, Wiaan Liebenberg, Roelof Smit, Marvin Orie, Nicholaas Janse van Rensburg, Andrew Beerwinkel, Arno van Wyk, Basil Short. Replacements: Corniel Els, Dayan van der Westhuisen, Nqubeko Zulu, Nardus van der Walt, JP Smith, Kobus Marais, Riaan Britz.