Schalk Brits returns from suspension and will start for the Vodacom Bulls against the Crusaders at Loftus on Friday.
Brits has served a four-week suspension and will start at hooker, while Jason Jenkins is fit again following injury. Like Brits, he last played for the Bulls in their 19-16 win over the Sharks at the end of March.
The duo replace Jaco Visagie and Jannes Kirsten respectively, with Visagie dropping to the bench and Kirsten moving into the No 7 jersey in place of the injured Hanro Liebenberg..
In a rotational change, Ivan van Zyl drops out of the match 23 and will be replaced by André Warner at scrumhalf in the starting team, while Warner’s place on the bench is taken by Embrose Papier.
Burger Odendaal, who was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s clash against the Waratahs, has been declared fit and he will start at centre in place of Dylan Sage, who drops out of the match day squad altogether. Odendaal and Kotze will man the midfield against the New Zealand outfit.
Human welcomed the return of his two Springboks in the pack.
‘Schalk has been itching to play for the last couple of weeks and he will be very keen. Jason also recovered well and looked very sharp in training. Both are players of international standard, so it is great to have them back. Our pack will need to step up to the plate if we want to contain the Crusaders, and these two are certainly capable of adding to that.’
Bulls captain, Handré Pollard, said they are determined to end this phase of the tournament on a strong footing.
‘We travel overseas after this and will only be back at Loftus next month, so this is a very important match for us. We need to do well here in order to maintain our log position and to get some momentum for the tour. Everyone realises what is at stake,’ he said.
Bulls – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 André Warner, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Thembelani Bholi, 20 Paul Schoeman, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Divan Rossouw.
Photo: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
