Bulls select very strong team for Currie Cup opening match against defending champion
The Bulls' new Currie Cup coach, Edgar Marutlulle, has selected a good mix of experienced players and youngsters to take on the Pumas in the first Currie Cup match of the season on Sunday.
After the Bulls named their new management team for the Currie Cup tournament earlier this week, the newly appointed head coach, Edgar Marutlulle, announced his team on Friday afternoon to take on the defending champions, the Pumas, in the first round.
The match will be played on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld.
The 35-year-old Marutlulle will be assisted by Sean Everitt (Defence & Breakdown); Hugo van As (Backline) and Gert Smal (Forwards).
As the Bulls’ next match in the United Rugby Championship (URC) will not take place until March 25 (away against Ulster), it was no surprise that the Currie Cup team was loaded with top players from the union.
The Blue Bulls will be led on Sunday by the 38-year-old flyhalf, Morné Steyn.
In the backline, only two changes were made to the team that suffered a shock defeat against the Lions in the URC last week. Bernard van der Linde gets a chance to play in the starting team at scrum-half while the veteran, Lionel Mapoe, will start at outside centre.
However, the pack of forwards is teeming with men who haven’t had much of a chance to play since the start of the new season.
A brand-new loose trio is put to the test with Phumzile Maqondwana and Reinhardt Ludwig as flankers and Mihlali Mosi at number eight.
Among the reserves there are also a few names that have not been heard of much in the new season. In this case, one thinks of men like Joe van Zyl (hooker), Lizo Gqoboka (prop), Cameron Hanekom (loose forward) and Keagan Johannes (scrum-half).
The pressure is likely to be huge on the Pumas on Sunday as they are the defending champions.
The match will kick off at 13:00.
Bulls: 15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Sibongile Novuka, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 David Kriel, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Morné Smith (captain), 9 Bernard van der Linde, 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Phumzile Maqondwana, 5 Ruan Vermaak, 4 Jacques Du Plessis, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Lizo Gqoboka, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Keagan Johannes.
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