Cyle Brink returns to the Vodacom Bulls starting line-up as coach Gert Smal named a virtual URC side to face the Cell C Sharks in a crucial Carling Currie Cup match on Wednesday night.
Brink injured his hamstring in his first game for his new province and will return to the loose trio alongside captain Arno Botha and the big-tackling WJ Steenkamp for the game.
Kowie Roos, who made his Bulls and Currie Cup debut off the bench in Kimberley, has earned himself a starting berth at tighthead prop, where he will scrum down alongside Lizo Gqoboka at loosehead prop and hooker, Schalk Erasmus.
Morne Steyn will earn a starting berth at flyhalf where he will form a halfback pairing with Keagan Johannes, who will start at No 9.
Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster and Madosh Tambwe are some of the players who have been included just days after playing against Munster in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
“The Sharks, alongside the Toyota Cheetahs, remain the only teams to have won all four of their matches so far. It goes to show how much of a quality side they are and that they are strong contenders, once again, for the Currie Cup title,” said Smal.
“There will be no room for error against a side that will punish us if we are not clinical. We will therefore need to be at our best if we want to get back to winning ways at Loftus Versfeld.”
The match between the Bulls and Sharks will kick off at 8pm CAT (SA, GMT+2), and it will be televised on SuperSport.
Vodacom Bulls:Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe, Morne Steyn, Keagan Johannes; WJ Steenkamp, Arno Botha (capt), Cyle Brink, Janko Swanepoel, Walt Steenkamp, Kowie Roos, Schalk Erasmus, Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements:Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jacques van Rooyne, Ruan Nortjie, Elrigh Louw, Marco Jansen van Vuren, Chris Smith, Cornal Hendricks.