The Bulls will be looking to win through to their third semifinals appearance in four seasons.
Embrose Papier, centre, will wear the Bulls No 9 jersey this weekend. Picture: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
Bulls boss Jake White has picked a formidable side for the team’s United Rugby Championship quarterfinal against Edinburgh at Loftus Versfeld at 1.30pm on Saturday.
In all, there are nine Springboks in the starting team in what is now a very familiar looking side.
In the absence of the injured Johan Goosen, Keagan Johannes will continue to wear the No 10 jersey, with Willie le Roux at fullback. Earlier this season when Goosen was also out, Le Roux deputised at flyhalf, but White has opted to keep his specialist players in their preferred positions. That said, Johannes started out as a scrumhalf.
Return of Papier at scrumhalf
All three men in the front row are Boks, namely Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw, while the back row is also packed with international players — Marcell Coetzee, Cameron Hanekom and captain Ruan Nortje who continues to be backed as a blindside flanker.
In the backs Embrose Papier is back in place of Zak Burger, to partner Johannes, while Canan Moodie will play on the right wing.
The Bulls are looking to win through to their third URC semifinal, after playing in two previous finals.
Bulls: Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk, Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Nortje (capt), Marcell Coetzee, JF van Heerden, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Bench: Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Marco van Staden, Zak Burger, Stedman Gans, Devon Williams
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