The Vodacom Bulls have lost two of their talismans ahead of their final Vodacom United Rugby Championship league match against Benetton Treviso on Saturday with captain Marcell Coetzee and Springbok Kurt-Lee Arendse both to miss the match with flu.
The Bulls have already qualified for the top-eight playoffs but if they pick up a full house of points against Benetton could end in the top four and claim home ground advantage for the quarterfinals in two weeks’ time.
But the loss of the two stalwarts will be covered by the return of Elrigh Louw to the starting line-up and the inclusion of Devon Williams, with Stravino Jacobs returning from injury and coming onto the bench.
Coach Johan Ackermann has made a number of other rotations to the side as well, especially in the forwards, where Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar swap with Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marco van Staden with the latter coming off the bench.
Ruan Nortje returns to the starting line-up for Ruan Vermaak, and will now partner Cobus Wiese in the second row.
Embrose Papier and Handre Pollard are back at halfback, while Willie le Roux moves to fullback in the other change to the backline.
Ackermann said after the team announcement he wanted to pick the strongest available side now that they are so close to the playoffs.
“Obviously we want to pick the strongest possible side apart from injuries like we all know on David Kriel and Sebastian (de Klerk) and so on. Unfortunately, Marcell and Kurt-Lee got a bit of flu and couldn't recover in time. They're still under the weather.
“So that's why we changed, you know, that's the reason Jeandre Rudolph is at six and Devon on the wing. And then Cheswill Jooste was still injured, but it opened up a door for Stravino to return.”
Ackermann said he wasn’t underestimating Benetton even though they have little but pride to play for.
“It sounds like a cliche, it's a team that could have easily been in the playoffs and higher up the ladder. If you look at the victories they had, the quality and kind of rugby they can play when they're at their best.
“Even in the European competition, they were unlucky not to progress in that and fall out in the playoffs. So they are a quality side with some good quality players, international players. And the fact that it's their last game of the season makes them even more dangerous as they've got almost nothing to lose and they can come out and just play, throw the ball around.
“It's very important that we don't fall in that trap and don't underestimate them, respect the players that they possess and then play to our standards that we saw last week. There were too many errors for us and we just have to be a bit more clinical tomorrow.”
Ackermann also had some good words for the milestone players - Willie le Roux will play his 400th first class game, while Stravino Jacobs lines up for his 100th cap for the Bulls.
“I mean, obviously that's a great privilege and a great blessing. I'm not sure Willie has realised how great an achievement that is to play that amount of rugby and be so fortunate - it means you probably didn't have a lot of injuries and so on. So that's a milestone to play 400 first-class matches and that's a great career and long may it continue.
“Stedman - this is my first year working with him, but what a team man, you know, it's just a guy that loves the team and always gives the best for the team, and is always willing to learn. He is very coachable, willing to adapt.
"If you ask him to do something different, he's willing to buy into that plan and he's versatile. He showed us this season, we played him at 12 and 13 and I think we can even play him at wing if we need to.
“It’s great to have a player in the squad like that. But the biggest thing is, it shows you his perseverance to push through a different number of coaches and to get to that 100 mark. And I can see why. I can see because he's a great team man and a great person on and off the field.”
Vodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux; Devon Williams, Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Sergeal Petersen; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Jeandre Rudolph, Ruan Nortje (capt), Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Francois Klopper, Ruan Vermaak, Mpilo Gumede, Paul de Wet, Stedman Gans, Stravino Jacobs.
Unavailable
David Kriel, Akker van der Merwe, Sebastian de Klerk, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Cheswill Jooste, Marcell Coetzee, Kurt-Lee Arendse.