WHITE'S CHOICE: How will he use the returning Boks?

Will the Vodacom Bulls get the Springbok boost they want?

That’s the question around the side ahead of their second Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Irish side Ulster at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday afternoon.

With the Bulls contributing a number of Boks to the overall squad, and two of them returning for the team’s opening win over Edinburgh last weekend, there is a real hope that the majority will be in action for the Pretoria side this weekend.

A number of them have not racked up major minutes in the last few weeks and will be short of match action, and Director of Rugby Jake White will have to find a way to integrate them and not disrupt the team’s momentum.

While Kurt-Lee Arendse and Ruan Nortje have played the most minutes for the Boks, and Elrigh Louw has been a regular feature off the bench, the rest of the Bulls cohort could easily be in the starting line-up this weekend.

With Canan Moodie returning to the team along with Johan Grobbelaar last weekend and playing a part in the win over Edinburgh, the Bulls could easily add Willie le Roux, who has played a background role at the Boks over the past few months and get him back into action as quickly as possible.

The idea of the “bok three” - the back three players that includes Le Roux, Arendse and Moodie may be premature if Arendse needs a week or so off, but it shouldn’t be long before they reunite as a combination for the side.

Nortje has had a heavy workload of late, and the recruitment of Cobus Wiese gives White some leeway to ease him back into action - especially as he started the Rugby Championship outside the squad but by the end was the first choice five lock in the last five test matches.

That experience will be crucial in leading the Bulls in the season, and Nortje has been named as co-captain with Louw, and White will probably want one of them back in action as soon as possible.

Part of the problem is that the Boks reunite in three weeks time, and while game time is important in certain circumstances, in others rest would serve the national interest a lot better.

The other Springboks that return, could slot in easily, but will need some thought into the long term plans for the rest of the squad.

Marco van Staden always adds a massive amount of value to the Bulls when he plays, and he hasn’t seen a lot of game time with the Boks of late, while Gerhard Steenekamp will shore up a scrum that struggled against Edinburgh. Steenekamp has slowly become known in Bok circles as the quiet assassin and is growing a massive reputation for himself with his impressive scrumming performances.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels is a conundrum - especially as the Boks will continue to see him as a “swinger” - a player that can play both loosehead and hooker. With Steenekamp back, where White uses him will be very interesting - especially as he has played mainly at hooker of late for the Boks.

The fact the Boks want to see him succeed in both roles, and his time with the national side scrumming against some of the best in the world is sure to weigh on that decision and with both Johan Grobbelaar and Akker van der Merwe vying for the hooker position, it may be more that Wessels gets a shot first at loosehead, and then moves around during the season.

All of this is against the backdrop of a tough match against Ulster, who will be looking for something out of their South African tour. White will try and get the balance right, not disrupt the momentum and boost the match day squad with quality.

Bulls fans will be holding thumbs the mix is right this weekend.