Boks Lood de Jager and Jan Serfontein will start as two of eight changes to the Bulls run-on XV for Friday's match against the Sunwolves in Pretoria.

After defeats in the opening two rounds – against the Stormers and Cheetahs – Bulls coach Nollis Marais has made a host of changes to the starting lineup.

In the backline, Warrick Gelant replaces Jesse Kriel at fullback, Jan Serfontein comes in at outside centre ahead of Dries Swanepoel and Piet van Zyl is preferred to Rudy Paige at scrumhalf. Kriel drops to the bench, but Swanepoel and Paige have been omitted from the match 23.

In a new-look pack, flanks Renaldo Bothma and Ruan Steenkamp will join Hanro Liebenberg in the back row, while De Jager has recovered from the concussion he sustained against the Stormers to take up position at No 5 lock.

The other changes come in the front row, where hooker Edgar Marutlulle and loosehead prop Pierre Schoeman replace Jaco Visagie and Lizo Gqoboka.

The Bulls have also been boosted by the return of regular captain Adriaan Strauss, who will make his return to action via the bench.

Bulls – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jan Serfontein, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Handré Pollard (c), 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Renaldo Bothma, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Pierre Schoeman.

Subs: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Lizo Gqoboko, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Jannes Kirsten, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Jesse Kriel.

Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images