Arendse injury forces Bulls back three change

Cornal Hendriks is back in the position he played all his games for the Springboks for the Vodacom Bulls in Saturday’s crucial Vodacom United Rugby Championship showdown with the Cell C Sharks at Loftus.

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Hendriks was man of the match playing in the midfield when the Bulls thrashed the Sharks in last year’s Carling Currie Cup final but has been moved to the wing as part of a reshuffle made by Bulls director of rugby due to an injury to Kurt-Lee Arendse.

With David Kriel coming in as the replacement fullback, White felt he needed to add Hendriks’ experience to the back three for this important game and against a team that probably kicks more than any other, certainly among the South African sides in the URC.

“It is an enforced change. Kurt-Lee got a bang on his shoulder and can’t play so we have moved David there and brought Cornal in for his experience,” said White.

“When it comes to wings these days, it is not like they often stand in their positions and then mark each other, so it is not like we are bringing him in to mark someone like Makazole Mapimpi specifically. Wings these days stand according to the shape and counter-attacking opportunities, so you very seldom find a guy standing out on the wing.

“In Cornal’s case though he has obviously played quite a bit for us at centre so we can use him in different positions in set-plays. That is obviously a good add on to have. For instance we can run him in a few plays as a 12. David is the most experienced as a fullback since I got this group together, so he has played there often. I would have liked to see Kurt-Lee there again as he was very good last week, but unfortunately we can’t play him due to injury. Madosh Tambwe and Cornal can help him in dealing with the up-and-unders.”

The only other change to the Bulls team that played last week is the return of Gerhard Steenkamp at loosehead prop for Simphiwe Matanzima, who moves to the bench. Canan Moodie is the man who moves to the bench to accommodate Hendriks on the wing.

Vodacom Bulls team: David Kriel, Cornal Hendriks, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Madosh Tambwe, Morne Steyn, Zak Burger, Elrigh Louw, Arno Botha, Marcell Coetzee (captain), Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Jacques van Rooyen, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenkamp.

Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Simphiwe Matanzima, Robert Hunt, Janko Swanepoel, Muller Uys, Embrose Papier, Chris Smith, Canan Moodie.