Jake White has made several changes to the Vodacom Bulls side for their Currie Cup match against the Lions at Loftus on Wednesday.

Currie Cup preview: Bulls vs Lions

The side from Pretoria had been struck by a Covid-19 outbreak within its ranks and has thus not played a game since their match against the Sharks on 12 December.

In what will be their first game in three-and-a-half weeks, White has made nine changes to his starting XV, with fullback David Kriel, centre Marnus Potgieter, No 8 Duane Vermeulen, openside flank Marco van Staden, lock Ruan Nortje and tighthead prop Trevor Nyakane the only survivors in the run-on team.

Potgieter has been shifted from wing to outside centre in the absence of Stedman Gans, with Jade Stighling cracking the nod at right wing.

Stravino Jacobs will play left wing, Jay-Cee Nel is at inside centre, Chris Smith takes over at flyhalf and Embrose Papier returns at scrumhalf.

Up front, Elrigh Louw has been selected at blindside flank, while Jan Uys comes in to partner Ruan Nortje in the second row.

Hooker Schalk Erasmus and loosehead prop Lizo Gqoboka come in to join Nyakane in the front row.

Bulls – 15 David Kriel, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Marnus Potgieter, 12 Jay-Cee Nel, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Jan Uys, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Schalk Erasmus, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Arno Botha, 21 Tim Agaba, 22 Ivan van Zyl, 23 Morne Steyn.

Photo: Archive