Bulls increase Kings 'quota'
Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar has added another Kings import to his starting XV as he looks to turn around his struggling team's season.
While the Bulls will welcome the return of a fit-again Francois Venter to the midfield ahead of their Currie Cup clash against the Free State Cheetahs in Pretoria on Saturday, it is the selection of Jacques Engelbrecht that will evoke most debate.
Engelbrecht, one of four players recruited from the Kings at the start of the season, will join midfielder Waylon Murray in what will be his first starting role for the Bulls.
The two other Kings imports, Bok hooker Bandise Maku and lock David Bulbring, will both play off the bench.
Engelbrecht swaps places with Jacques du Plessis on the flank.
Venter replaces Ulrich Beyers, who moves to the bench, in a team that shows three changes to the starting line-up.
Injured Morné Mellett is replaced by Marcel van der Merwe, who will face the Cheetahs for the first time since he moved from Bloemfontein to Pretoria at the end of last year.
Veteran wing Akona Ndungane will play in his 50th Currie Cup match for the Blue Bulls.
Clayton Blommetjies and Tiaan Schoeman have been bracketed as the utility back on the bench, with a final call to be made closer to the match.
Blue Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Akona Ndungane, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Ruan Snyman, 8 Jono Ross (captain), 7 Jacques Engelbrecht, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Frik Kirsten, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Marcel van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 David Bulbring, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Rudi Paige, 21 Ulrich Beyers, 22 Clayton Blommetjies/Tiaan Schoeman.
Date: Saturday, September 7
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Stuart Berry
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker, Cobus Wessels
TMO: Tappe Henning with W Vos in training
