The Vodacom Bulls will be without captain Marcell Coetzee for their three-match Vodacom United Rugby Championship tour, but they’ll be boosted by the return of their Springbok contingent when they arrive in Belfast to prepare for the clash with Ulster.
The Bulls departed on Monday night for Ireland and will be joined in Belfast by their Boks, fresh off their back-to-back Rugby Championship victory. Without Coetzee, who has been stood down after failing an HIA in the game against Leinster last weekend, the Bulls will be captained by Johan Grobbelaar on the trip.
The other player not fit enough to join them on tour was winger Kurt-Lee Arendse, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury and should be ready when they return from Ireland.
TOUGH TOUR
The tough three-game tour sees them face Ulster, Connacht and Glasgow Warriors in consecutive weeks. While they have won their opening two games and are top of the log, the Bulls need to continue this momentum and away wins remain a premium in the competition.
The Boks - Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw, Marco van Staden, Handre Pollard and Canan Moodie - are a welcome boost, and it will be interesting to see who plays for the side when the team is named later in the week.
Season captain Ruan Nortje has been left to rest at home after playing most of the Springboks’ tests in the Rugby Championship, although he is available if needed,
Due to an agreement with the Boks, Louw will play this weekend against Ulster and then be replaced by Khuta Mchunu, who has returned from Japan, in week two.
EXTRA BOOST
Added to this, the team welcomed back Cheswill Jooste, Jan Serfontein and Cobus Wiese, all three integral to their title challenge this season and who missed out on the win over Leinster.
“We’ve got individual plans in place, but injuries have already forced one or two changes. Hopefully we’ll integrate them quickly. It’s probably the biggest challenge for Handré, just because he’s the newest addition, while the others have played with us before,” coach Johan Ackermann said after the win over Leinster.
Integration, and a leaky defence are the two big issues for the side as they head to Ulster, who won their opening game of the tournament 42-21 against the Dragons and then had their round two fixture against Edinburgh postponed due to bad weather.
TOURING SQUAD:
Alulutho Tshakweni; Canan Moodie; Cheswill Jooste; Cobus Wiese; David Kriel; Devon Williams; Embrose Papier; Francois Kloppers; Gerhard Steenekamp; Handre Pollard; Harold Vorster; Jan Hendrik Wessels; Jan Serfontein; Jean Else; Jeandre Rudolph; JJ Theron; Johann Grobbelaar (capt); Johan Goosen; Keagan Johannes; Marco van Staden; Mornay Smith; Mpilo Gumede; N J van Rensburg; Nama Xaba; Paul de Wet; Reinhardt Ludwig; Sebastian de Klerk; Stravino Jacobs; Wilco Louw; Willie le Roux; Zak Burger.
NON-TRAVELLING RESERVES:
Etienne Janneke; Esethu Mnebelele; Khuta Mchunu; Sintu Manjezi; Jacobus Grobbelaar; Kurt-Lee Arendse (pending fitness); Stedman Gans; Sergeal Petersen.