Take two for the Mitchell-and-Bulls Show
The Executive of rugby Mitchell has made wholesale changes to the side, with only six players surviving the axe.
The half-a-dozen players are prop Lizo Gqoboka, lock Ruben van Heerden, flank Jannes Kirsten, No.8 Nic de Jager, centre JT Jackson and fullback Warrick Gelant.
Gqoboka will form a new front row with Dayan van der Westhuizen and Edgar Marutlulle, who both came off the bench at the Mbombela Stadium, while Van Heerden's new lock partner is Aston Fortuin, who replaces the injured Abongile Nonkontwana. Fortuin will make his Currie Cup debut for the team.
Shaun Adendorff is the newcomer amongst the loose forwards, replacing the injured Johannes Prinsloo.
Mitchell opted for a new halfback combination in Ivan van Zyl and Marnitz Boshoff, replacing Andre Warner and Joshua Stander.
Johnny Kotze is promoted from the bench into the starting team and will combine with JT Jackson in the midfield, while two new wings, Rabs Maxwane and Duncan Matthews has been named. Both have recovered from injury.
The match will also see the introduction of Tim Agaba, who will come off the bench for his Blue Bulls debut. The former Eastern Province Kings player is returning to fifteens after a hugely successful stint with sevens, where he collected a bronze medal at the Olympic Games and the Sevens World Series trophy with the Blitzboks.
He will be joined by fellow Blitzbok, Stedman Gans.
The midfielder also represented the Junior Springboks earlier this year as did Johan Grobbelaar, who is back on the bench after missing out in Nelspruit.
"We are still busy developing as a team. We are adapting to a new playing style and philosophy and I am giving a number of players the opportunity to be exposed to that in a match situation.
"We have certainly not given up on the season, in fact, these players do have the talent and ability to perform at this level, but it is an extensive overhaul that will take some time," Mitchell explained.
Nic de Jager, who along with Ruben van Heerden are the only two players who started in all the matches this season, also had a pragmatic approach.
"We already played Griquas in Kimberley and really had to dig deep to beat them. They have since scored a couple of impressive wins, while our results were not good, so this will be a huge challenge. We have to front up though and take responsibility for our performances.
"There is only one way to rectify ourselves and that is on the field of play," the captain said.
Blue Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Duncan Matthews, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 JT Jackson, 11 Rabs Maxwane, 10 Marnitz Boshoff, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Nic de Jager (captain), 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Aston Fortuin, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Matthys Basson, 18 Jano Venter, 19 Tim Agaba, 20 Andre Warner, 21 Tony Jantjies/Trinus de Beer, 22 Franco Naude/Stedman Gans.
Date: Friday, September 1
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 19.00 (17.00GMT)
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Ruhan Meiring, Jaco Kotze
TMO: Willie Vos
