No Boks for Bulls
The Bulls, with a slim mathematical chance of still reaching the semifinals, host the Pumas at Loftus Versfeld on Friday.
None of the Bulls' Boks who featured in the nailbiting 24-25 loss to the All Blacks in Cape Town at the weekend – centre Jesse Kriel and Jan Serfontein, lock Lodewyk de Jager, prop Trevor Nyakane, scrumhalf Rudy Paige and flyhalf Handré Pollard – have been named in the matchday 22.
This is part if the ruling by the South African Rugby Union that no contracted Springboks can play in the Currie Cup. Pollard also suffered concussion late in the encounter with New Zealand.
John Mitchell, the Executive: Rugby and coach of the Bulls, named an unchanged starting XV.
Mitchell only made one forced change amongst the reserves from the squad that travelled to Bloemfontein last weekend, with Ulrich Beyers being replaced by Travis Ismaiel.
Beyers were concussed in the win over the Free State Cheetahs last week and is unavailable for this weekend, while Ismaiel makes a timely return from injury.
"We are slowly but surely getting into some sort of rhythm in our play and consistency in selection, things that are important if you want to make it into the play-offs," Mitchell said.
"We are still in with a chance to make it into the final four and owe it to ourselves and our supporters out there to give it a full go."
Blue Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Duncan Matthews, 13 Burger Odendaal (captain), 12 John Jackson, 11 Johnny Kotze, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Nic de Jager, 7 Tim Agaba, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Aston Fortuin, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Jano Venter, 19 Johannes Prinsloo, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Tony Jantjies, 22 Travis Ismaiel.
Date: Friday, October 13
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria'
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Egon Seconds, Jaco Pretorius
TMO: Lesego Legoete
