Vodacom Bulls centre Jesse Kriel is expected to start against the Hurricanes in the quarter-final in Wellington on Saturday.

Kriel has been sidelined with an ankle injury for some time. While it was initially hoped that he would be ready to face the Lions at Loftus Versfeld, it was decided to give the Springbok centre another week to recover.

The bad news for the Bulls is that Burger Odendaal is unlikely to feature against the Hurricanes. The inside centre injured his collarbone in the recent game against the Lions. A call on his availability will be made later this week.

Lock Jason Jenkins has recovered from a calf injury and will be available for the quarter-final. Hooker Schalk Brits has come through his concussion protocols but is currently battling flu. The Bok hooker will be given time to recover from his illness in the lead-up to the do-or-die game.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix