Former Scotland flyhalf Jaco van der Walt has been named in the hot seat for the Vodacom Bulls as they head to Johannesburg for their Vodacom United Rugby Championship Jukskei derby against the Emirates Lions on Saturday.
Ruan Nortje returns to lead the side, which includes returns for World Cup winners Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, both back from an enforced leave and ready to kick back into gear.
Gerhard Steenekamp returns after missing the last Lions game at Loftus, which the Bulls narrowly won at Loftus Versfeld. Alongside him is Johan Grobbelaar, who was on the bench at Loftus while Mornay Smith packs down at tighthead with Wilco Louw still injured.
Marco van Staden, another World Cup winner gets the nod ahead of Marcell Coetzee, who is on the bench alongside Celimpilo Gumede, one of the finds of the season. Van Staden partners with Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom in the back row.
“We must give ‘Cash’ [Ivan van Rooyen] some credit, he has done well with the conditioning of his team, they really get back up well. They are very good at understanding counterattacks because they do it so well. Their wingers are also good at closing their outside so well and so we will have to find a new way of getting through them,” coach Jake White said.
“One thing about them is that they are very good.”
A win would give the Bulls a chance to close the gap on the sides above them as they look to solidify their top four spot.
“We are going to have to play well, almost our best rugby like it’s test rugby. The next two weekends are like trial runs for the big knockout games that are coming,”
“We have made one or two tweaks with our changes, not for any other reason but to continue learning who can play with whom because we are never going to have the same 23.”
Looking back at the last game against the Lions, White pointed to the victory as a learning curve. “Sometimes you need those kinds of games (close results) to give the group a wake-up call. We let slip 21 points and there aren’t many teams you can give that amount of points and expect to win, so we will be better,
“The ironic thing is we play really well against them at their ground which is probably better than most in the league. Who knows, this is probably the one game we need on the road. To be fair, we have a few guys who have played there and this will be like a home game for them.”
Kick off is 3pm.
🚨 TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) February 16, 2024
YOUR Vodacom Bulls team to take on the Emirates Lions at the Park in round 2 of the Jukskei Derby 🏆#BackTheBulls@vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/VcOTUxrdH7