Willie le Roux will start at 10, and Canan Moodie steps up for his 50th cap for the Vodacom Bulls, but despite that and several other changes ahead of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby against the DHL Stormers on Saturday, there is still more intrigue that awaits the fixture this weekend.
Coach Jake White’s selection has seen one of the most interesting front row battles, as the Buffalo - two time World Cup winner Frans Malherbe will line up against White’s choice at loosehead - young Springbok Jan-Hendrik Wessels in a battle that will be eagerly watched.
Wessels has been used mostly at hooker by the Bulls in the past, but the Boks have decided last year to blood him at loosehead as well, but this weekend will be by far his toughest test against one of the best tightheads in world rugby.
White though, was nonplussed about the prospect, and while he admitted it was a massive test for Wessels, he was keen to see what the young prop could do.
“It is a massive test to face Frans, but Jan-Hendrik has played a test match against Australia with Johan Grobbelaar next to him and they have played international rugby together. I’m fully confident in him, and he has grown immensely as a player in the last year or so,” White said.
“To be honest he is too good a player to leave in the stands and is really playing well. So while it is a massive test for him, we have Gerhard Steenekamp on the bench and three other Boks on the bench, so we can do as we did against the Lions and finish strong with a bench of senior heads on the field.”
The decision to move Le Roux into the 10 spot wasn’t unexpected, and the Stormers would have been planning for it. But White said that Le Roux had shown in the past he was comfortable with the 10 role and now this was formalising it.
“Most of Willie’s good matches are when he comes into the playmaker role and pushes the 10 out of the way and plays 10 most of the game. I’m very comfortable that he understands what we want to do and he knows how to get us there. We can always bring Boeta Chamberlain back if we need to, but I rate Willie very highly and know he can do the job for us,” White added.
Marcell Coetzee will lead the side into battle, with White going for young Reinhard Ludwig at flank along with Cameron Hanekom in the loose trio, while JF van Heerden joins Cobus Wiese in the second row.
Other than Le Roux at 10, Canan Moodie comes in on the wing to get his 50th cap for the Bulls at the same stadium he made his debut in.
The Bulls also have a strong bench with Akker van der Merwe, Gerhard Steenekamp, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Boeta Chamberlain and Sebastian de Klerk all getting a run.
VODACOM BULLS: Devon Williams, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sergeal Petersen, Willie le Roux, Embrose Papier; Cameron Hanekom, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marcell Coetzee (captain), JF van Heerden, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johann Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
REPLACEMENTS: Akker van der Merwe, Gerhard Steenekamp, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Nizaam Carr, Zak Burger, Boeta Chamberlain, Sebastian de Klerk.