Newcomers to Loftus Versfeld like Rosko Specman and Cornal Hendricks will start for the Bulls when they open their warm-up campaign for the Super Rugby competition in a friendly match against the Lions in Pretoria on Saturday.

Specman concluded his sevens duties with the Blitzboks in December and Hendricks joined the Pretoria side a month earlier after medical clearance. They will add some attacking punch to the team named by Head Coach, Pote Human, for this opening match, starting at 15:00 on the Loftus B field.

Another newcomer in the set-up is Marco Jansen van Vuren, who last year played for the Lions before a short stint with the SA Rugby Sevens Academy, while Muller Uys will also start. Uys, a former Junior Springbok, arrived from Western Province, where he played age group rugby last year.

“It is a long season, with no June window to interrupt the proceedings, so it will be important to have all available players fit and ready when needed. A number of the guys starting this weekend will have the opportunity to show why they should be in the squad. We are all eager to see how the new guys do, but also to get the season going,” said Human when he announced the team.

The starting team is: Earll Dowrie, Cornal Hendricks, Franco Naude, JT Jackson, Rosko Specman, Manie Libbok, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Muller Uys, Thembelani Bholi, Ruan Steenkamp. Eli Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Dayan van der Westhuizen, Corniel Els, Simphiwe Matanzima.  Finishers: Johan Grobbelaar, Matthys Basson, Conrad van Vuuren, Tim Agaba, Nic de Jager, Ivan van Zyl, Tinus de Beer, Jay-Cee Nel, Jade Stighling, Divan Rossouw.

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