Bulls bring out some big guns
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Cornal Hendricks will captain a strong Bulls team in their opening match of the side’s Currie Cup defence.
The Bulls travel to Nelspruit to take on the Pumas on Friday.
Bulls’ coach Gert Smal said the Currie Cup remains an important competition and they need to find the right balance for chasing success on the domestic stage and in the United Rugby Championship in Europe.
The most significant names missing from Friday’s team sheet are veteran Springboks Morne Steyn and Marcel Coetzee.
Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 David Kriel, 12 Cornal Hendricks (captain), 11 Richard Kriel, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Jaco Labuschagne, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Jacques van Rooyen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Robert Hunt, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Juan Mostert, 23 Stedman Gans.
Date: Friday, January 14
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron, Local
TMO: Quinton Immelman
