Despite having more than a dozen players out with injury, and another half dozen at the Springboks, the Vodacom Bulls have still managed to put out a strong side for their opening Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The match, which will be the first in charge for new coach Johan Ackermann, comes after just two months at the helm and with a number of players unavailable.
Still, there are six Springboks in the side led by Marcell Coetzee, including Willie le Roux, who was called in to help the Boks train this week in Durban, and hasn’t had much time with the Bulls since Ackermann took over. Le Roux is on the bench for this weekend’s game.
The big news is the return to action for Gerhard Steenekamp, the Springbok loosehead who has missed the entire international season thus far. Steenekamp had a minor knee injury during the last URC but then was felled by an infection that kept him out of action and he only began scrumming again last weekend.
The other interesting selections are Junior Springboks JJ Theron and Cheswill Jooste, both who have impressed at Currie Cup level. Theron is a hard running loose forward while 18 year old Jooste has speed to match any back in the competition.
Theron will line up at eight with Coetzee at six and a long-awaited return from injury for Celimpilo Gumede meaning he completes the loose trio. Springbok lock Cobus Wiese partners last year’s SA under-20 captain JF van Heerden in the second row.
Keagan Johannes continues his run at 10 with the injury to Johan Goosen and the unavailability of Handre Pollard, the latter who is on Bok duty at the moment, and will be partnered by Embrose Papier.
Jan Serfontein, who rejoined the Bulls from Montpellier, will make his first appearance in a light blue jersey in eight years and partners David Kriel in the midfield. Apart from Jooste, the back three has a familiar look about it with Sebastian de Klerk and Devon Williams completing the line-up.
On the bench Serfontein’s former Montpellier teammate Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and new halfback signing Paul de Wet feature, alongside Currie Cup captain Nama Xaba and regular Stedman Gans.
TEAM: Devon Williemas; Cheswill Jooste, David Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Sebastian de Klerk; Keagan Johannes, Embrose Papier; JJ Theron, Celimpilo Gumede, Marcell Coetzee (captain), Cobus Wiese, JF van Heerden, Mornay Smith, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp.
REPLACEMENTS: Juann Else, Alulutho Tshakweni, Francois Klopper, Nicolaas Janse van Rensbrug, Nama Xaba, Paul de Wet, Stedman Gans, Willie le Roux