The Bulls have made four backline changes, with captain Ruan Nortjé also set to miss out against the Lions at Ellis Park.
Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann admitted to some frustration at having to make several changes to his side following a strong tour of Europe.
However, he said he has full faith in the players stepping in to grasp their opportunities in Saturday’s return derby against the Lions at Ellis Park (kick-off 2.30pm).
The Bulls come from a 26-24 win over Pau in France and their first-ever win against Edinburgh in Scotland (score 19-17). These were the Pretoria union’s first back-to-back wins since the opening two rounds of the URC.
However, they face a tough assignment against a full-strength Lions side at home, with several players unavailable following the demanding travel and injuries sustained on tour.
More players unavailable
The Lions beat the Bulls 43-33 in Pretoria in November, making this fixture all the more significant as the Bulls aim to climb from ninth on the URC log into a play-off spot. A win could see them leapfrog the Lions, who are four points ahead of them in seventh.
But utility backs Sebastian de Klerk and Cheswill Jooste (both HIA), and lock Ruan Nortjé (illness) joined the list of the injured, including Jan Serfontein, Akker van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Cameron Hanekom, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Gerhard Steenekamp, Sintu Manjezi, and Nama Xaba.
Willie le Roux also misses out due to his Springbok resting protocol.
However, Springbok forwards Elrigh Louw and Cobus Wiese return to the fold.
Harold Vorster, Stedman Gans, Stravino Jacobs and Devon Williams all get opportunities in the backline.
‘It’s not ideal for this game’
Ackermann admitted he had wanted to keep continuity, and the changes were “not ideal for this game”. But he had faith in his players.
“Unfortunately, there will be a change in continuity in certain positions,” he said.
“But I always say opportunity is great for players. This is an opportunity for Stedman, who has been training and training, waiting for an opportunity. Hopefully, he will form a good combination with Harold [in the midfield].
“The same thing for Devon Williams. Willie was consistently the 15. He was waiting for his opportunity and now he gets it. We’ve got a lot of faith in him and his ability.”
Ackermann referred to the November clash between the sides, saying Akker van der Merwe being held up in the opening minutes, followed by the Lions scoring two tries and a penalty to lead 17–0 after 23 minutes, underlined the importance of attacking, clinical rugby.
“They played very well on the day but… the reality is we weren’t very good. We didn’t control the ball, we gave away penalties, we gave away a yellow card. There are a lot of things we need to improve.”
Ackermann said the Lions are a full 80-minute team. “If you get an opportunity, you need to score, because you know they will score when they get an opportunity.”
