The Vodacom Bulls will have to do without their battering ram - young upstart Elrigh Louw - this week after he tested positive for Covid.
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Louw, who is asymptomatic, will follow the isolation protocols and the hope is he will be ready for next weekend’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Ulster at Loftus Versfeld.
Louw has been a star for the Bulls of late and has consistently been one of the top performers in the Championship, so the loss will be a big one for a Bulls side keen on building momentum.
But in the same breath the Bulls have depth to bring in, and while Bismarck du Plessis is also cleared to play, he is still “unavailable” for selection according to coach Jake White.
Arno Botha comes into Louw’s place and will be a key player in the loose trio, while Lionel Mapoe is back at 13 to partner Harold Vorster in the midfield.
Embrose Papier has recovered from his concussion and followed the return to play protocols, and returns to the starting line-up with Zak Burger dropping to the bench.
Mornay Smith also returns to URC action after making his injury comeback in the week in Currie Cup, while the bench also features two Springboks in Morne Steyn and Cornal Hendricks.
Lamenting the loss of Louw, White took a glass half full approach.
“He tested positive, so it’s out of our hands and we can’t pick him,” White said.
“He’s not symptomatic, and he is following the rules so we hope he will be available next week and we’ll see what happens when he tests on Monday with the group again.”
White was happy with being able to retain the majority of the group.
“We want to play the same group week in and out and have them play with more confidence. We don’t have time on our side and we need to look to build a team that can play in bigger games. It also gives confidence to the players to name almost the same team and the players feel the same,” White said.
While White was complimentary to the Dragons side and said they hardly faced a blowout in the scorline, their recent 64-3 loss to Munster a few weeks ago showed just how under pressure Dean Ryan’s side are.
“This week we are up against a Dragons side that has welcomed back at least three of their internationals from Welsh duty, so that is a reflection of the strong team we will be facing,” White said.
“This is a side that is well-coached and has shown how dangerous they can be. They will be motivated to do well and begin their tour of South Africa on a positive note. We will need to be at our very best if we intend to stop this side that can pose a real challenge.”
The match will kick-off at 19h15 and it will be televised on SuperSport.
VODACOM BULLS: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe; Chris Smith, Embrose Papier; Arno Botha, Cyle Brink, Marcell Coetzee (capt), Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Jacques van Rooyen, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp.
Reserves: Joe van Zyl, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Reinhardt Ludwig, WJ Steenkamp, Zak Burger, Morne steyn, Cornal Hendricks.