The Vodacom Bulls have decided to go for their own “bomb squad” ahead of their EPCR Challenge Cup quarterfinal against Edinburgh on Saturday, picking no less than six Springboks on their bench.
While the Bulls have stuck with a traditional five-three bench, they have a host of Boks in their ranks to try and up the tempo in the last quarter of the game, precisely where they believe they will need to take control of the match to earn themselves a semifinal spot.
In the starting line-up, captain and Springbok lock Ruan Nortje returns to the starting line-up for the first time since his knee injury against the Lions several weeks back, Nortje played off the bench in the last two games for the Bulls and has slowly progressed back to full fitness, and now takes control of the leadership group for this vital game.
It means that Reinhardt Ludwig, who was in the second row last weekend, drops to the bench along with Springbok and World Cup winner Marco van Staden, with Cameron Hanekom returning to the starting line-up for the game.
COETZEE TO CONTINUE AT SIDE OF SCRUM
Hanekom’s return to the No.8 jersey means that Marcell Coetzee moves to the side of the scrum, hardly surprising since his man of the match performance against Bayonne as the Bulls look for something similar this week.
But the bench has a mean look about it, especially with the two young Bok front row forwards in Johan Grobbelaar, who returns from a shoulder injury to be reserve hooker and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who will cover loosehead, on the bench.
Mornay Smith is the third member of the front row on the bench, and only one of two non-Boks among the reserves, but the trio are the same three that engineered a scrum penalty against Leinster a few weeks back to turn the result in their favour at Loftus Versfeld.
Other than Ludwig and Van Staden, all three backline reserves are Boks - with Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen and, surprisingly, Canan Moodie returning to the match day 23 for this game.
PARTNERSHIPS LIKELY TO CONTINUE
The starting line-up is a vote of confidence in the players that beat Bayonne, with Simphiwe Matanzima partnering Akker van der Merwe and Wilco Louw in the front row, while JF Van Heerden and Jannes Kirsten make up the rest of the pack.
Zak Burger and Keagan Johannes continue their partnership at halfback while the rest of the backline is unchanged.
White says the team will borrow from last weekend’s victory as they look to further their stay in the competition.
“Last week’s result was massive. To get an away win in France is a big deal, especially because Bayonne are a strong outfit that sits fourth in their league.
BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE
"That winning feeling is something you cannot bottle, but it has given us confidence, and the vibe in the camp is upbeat. We have a nice environment, and it gives us a nice feeling as a group.”
“I am really happy we got that win, and we must now take that momentum into this week.”
Edinburgh, meanwhile, have surprised by dropping Scottish international Pierre Schoeman to the bench ahead of the meeting with his old team, with another South African in Boan Venter set to face Louw up front.
Other than that, they have some serious firepower out wide with Wes Goosen and Scottish try-scoring sensation Darcy Graham, while their forward pack has several Scottish internationals in it.
VODACOM BULLS: Devon Williams; Sergeal Petersen, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs; Keagan Johannes, Zak Burger; Cameron Hanekom, Jannes Kirsten, Marcell Coetzee (captain), JF van Heerden, Ruan Nortje (captain), Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima.
REPLACEMENTS: Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, Marco van Staden, Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen, Canan Moodie.
EDINBURGH: Wes Goosen; Darcy Graham, Matt Currie, James Lang, Ross McCann; Ross Thompson, Ben Vellacott (co-captain); Magnus Bradbury, Hamish Watson, Jamie Ritchie, Grant Gilchrist (co-captain), Sam Skinner, Javan Sebastian, Ewan Ashman, Boan Venter.
REPLACEMENTS: Dave Cherry, Pierre Schoeman, D’arcy Rae, Rob Carmichael, Ben Muncaster, Ali Price, Cammy Scott, Mosese Tuipulotu