The Vodacom Bulls strengthened their match day 23 with the return of talisman Cameron Hanekom, while stalwarts Marcell Coetzee and Willie le Roux returned to the starting line-up as they signalled their intent to get full points out of their penultimate Vodacom United Rugby Championship league match against Cardiff on Saturday.
Their return to Loftus Versfeld coincides with the return from a week off, well deserved after a four-week tour in Europe where their EPCR Challenge Cup hopes ended, but their URC hopes soared.
Hanekom missed the last match against Glasgow after taking a knock in the preceding game against Munster while Le Roux returned from injury and was on the bench in Scotland, alongside Coetzee.
Coetzee replaces Jannes Kirsten, while Hanekom comes in for World Cup winner Marco van Staden. Both replaced players drop to the bench.
The only other change - other than Le Roux returning and Devon Williams dropping to the bench - is Zak Burger starting after Embrose Papier was withdrawn as a precaution.
Papier “rolled his knee” - as coach Jake White put it - and was being given the week off as a precaution after clearing the scans, with Burger starting and Keagan Johannes now playing back-up 9 and 10 from the bench. The luxury of Johannes on the bench means White can have Williams and Stedman Gans as two more backline reserves, and has a pretty potent bench.
Cardiff are currently fifth on the log and will be looking for vital points to help them secure the best spot for the playoffs, while the Bulls will want full points from their last two fixtures to try and finish second at the end of the league stages and secure a home semifinal as well.
The tour that set up this thrilling last fortnight was massively important for the Bulls, as White admits, especially as they have given themselves a chance now to finish second on the log behind Leinster.
“It was very important for us, and don’t take away the fact we won against Munster, who won the tournament two years ago, and Glasgow, who are the defending champions, it was against the two champion teams. Both those teams have won the competition playing away from home. It was a massive win for us in both those fixtures, especially as it is very likely we are going to have to play away from home at some point in the competition,” White said.
“But the hard work starts now. I know it is a cliche from coaches and we did good work on tour. The hard work is now to carry on that momentum and what we’ve created, which is a chance to play at home in the semifinals.”
The Bulls will be looking for a full house of points from the game, which kicks off at 4pm, after originally being scheduled for 4.45pm.
VODACOM BULLS: Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk; Johan Goosen, Zak Burger; Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Nortje (captain), Marcell Coetzee, JF van Heerden, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johann Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
REPLACEMENTS: Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Marco van Staden, Keagan Johannes, Devon Williams, Stedman Gans.