Dries Swanepoel is back in the Blue Bulls midfield for Saturday's match against the Sharks at Kings Park.

With Dan Kriel having been ruled out of action for three to four weeks after aggravating a shoulder injury against the EP Kings last weekend, Swanepoel has made a timely return to full fitness and will start at outside centre.

In other changes, fit-again Travis Ismaiel replaces Bjorn Basson on the right wing, Jacobie Adriaanse will make his first start for the Blue Bulls at tighthead prop having come off the bench last weekend, and Bandise Maku comes in for Edgar Marathlulle at hooker.

Martin Dreyer, Nic de Jager and Ulrich Beyers have been brought onto the bench.

'We certainly had good moments against the Kings and scored some great tries,' said Bulls coach Nollis Marais. 'But we were also very loose at times and allowed them to stay in the match much longer than they should. The Sharks have shown their class in the competition already and we will certainly not be allowed such leeway in Durban.'

Blue Bulls – 15 Duncan Matthews, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Arno Botha (c), 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Martin Dreyer, 18 Nic de Jager, 19 Hanro Liebenberg, 20 André Warner, 21 Joshua Stander, 22 Ulrich Beyers.

Photo: Johan Rynners/Gallo Images