Scrumhalf Rudy Paige will start his first Vodacom Super Rugby match for the Bulls against the Sharks at Loftus on Saturday.
All of his nine previous appearances in the tournament came via the bench with his elevation to the starting team the only change from the run-on side that lost 17-13 to the Hurricanes last weekend.
Paige, who played off the bench in that defeat, replaces Piet van Zyl, who drops out of the match-day squad altogether. Travis Ismaiel comes in for Paige on the bench and should he take to the field, the former Junior Springbok winger will make his debut for the team.
A fit-again Marcel van der Merwe will also be eased in from the bench.
'Rudy has been playing well and we feel his game is best suited for this week and opponent,' explained coach Frans Ludeke.
Bulls – 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (c), 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Morné Mellett.
Subs: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Dean Greyling, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Grant Hattingh, 20 Hanro Liebenberg, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Travis Ismaiel, 23 Jürgen Visser.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
