Bulls' Boks take centre stage
The return of Springbok centres JJ Engelbrecht and Jan Serfontein headlines the Blue Bulls team for their do-or-die Currie Cup clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Bulls coach Pine Pienaar included the two Boks, Engelbrecht and Serfontein, in his backline.
The Bok midfield duo will play for the Bulls for the first time this season and will replace William Small-Smith and Francois Venter respectively.
Small-Smith will move to the Under-21 team and Venter to the bench.
He also promoted loose forward Jacques Engelbrecht to his starting pack.
Engelbrecht’s inclusion at No.8, only his second start in seven matches, prompted a reshuffle to the loose trio.
Regular No.8 Jono Ross moves to the side of the scrum, with Wiaan Liebenberg released to captain the Under-21 side.
A fit-again Jean Cook moves onto the bench.
In more changes on the bench, Werner Kruger replaces Dean Greyling and Clayton Blommetjies comes in for Ulrich Beyers.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudi Paige, 8 Jacques Engelbrecht, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Jono Ross (captain), 5 David Bulbring, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Grant Hattingh, 19 Jean Cook, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Francois Venter, 22 Clayton Blommetjies.
Date: Saturday, October 12
Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Marius Jonker
Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Francois de Bruin
TMO: Gerrie Coetzee
