The Bulls are expecting a tough Carling Currie Cup contest when they face the Sharks in a crucial match at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.

Bulls head coach, Gert Smal, has made a handful of changes to the team that made a successful trip to Kimberley a week and a half ago, where they claimed an important 27-53 win against Griquas.

Cyle Brink will make a return to the Bulls side after recovering from a hamstring injury he sustained in the opening match of the Carling Currie Cup season earlier in the year. He will start in the No6 jersey alongside loose trio partners Arno Botha, who will captain the side, and WJ Steenkamp.

Kowie Roos, who made his Bulls and Carling Currie Cup debut off the bench in Kimberley, has earned himself a starting berth at tighthead prop, where he will buckle down alongside Lizo Gqoboka at loosehead prop and hooker, Schalk Erasmus.

Morne Steyn will earn a starting berth at flyhalf where he will form a halfback pairing with Keagan Johannes, who will start at No9.

The Bulls are bracing themselves for a bruising battle against an unbeaten Sharks team that claimed a 10-24 win over Pumas in their previous outing.

“The Sharks, alongside the Cheetahs, remain the only teams to have won all four of their matches so far. It goes to show how much of a quality side they are and that they are strong contenders, once again, for the Carling Currie Cup title,” said Smal.

Smal emphasized that there will be no room for error against a side that will punish his team if they are not clinical.

“We will therefore need to be at our best if we want to get back to winning ways at Loftus Versfeld,” Smal concluded.

The match between the Bulls and Sharks will kick off at 20:00.

The Bulls team to face the Sharks is: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Betway Centurion), Canan Moodie (Pretoria), Lionel Mapoe (Pretoria), Harold Vorster (Northam Rhinos), Madosh Tambwe (Pretoria), Morné Steyn (Tuine), Keagan Johannes (UP Tuks); WJ Steenkamp (Tuine), Arno Botha (CAPT, ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Cyle Brink (Betway Centurion), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), Walt Steenkamp (Tuine), Kowie Roos (Pretoria), Schalk Erasmus (Tuine), Lizo Gqoboka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle).  Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar (UP Tuks), Gerhard Steenekamp (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Jacques van Rooyen (Tuine), Ruan Nortje (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Elrigh Louw (UP Tuks); Marco Jansen van Vuren (Pretoria), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Cornal Hendricks (Northam Rhinos).

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