Cameron Hanekom is back in the starting line-up as the Bulls received some serious reinforcements for Saturday’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Edinburgh in Scotland (1.30pm).
Coach Jake White made a few changes in the starting XV on Friday, and one of the most welcome ones for Bulls fans would have been seeing Springbok No 8 Hanekom packing down at the back of the scrum.
The one-cap Bok played off the bench in last week’s 32-22 last-16 victory over Bayonne in France, with Marcell Coetzee operating at No 8 and producing a Player of the Match performance.
But Hanekom, who was returning from a calf injury last weekend, has the necessary agility and skills to be a massive factor for the Bulls on the 4G pitch at the Hive Stadium on Saturday.
The 22-year-old is explosive with ball-in-hand on attack, while he will also contest the breakdowns with vigour in defence.
The experienced Coetzee has been retained, though, shifting to openside flank in place of fellow Bok Marco van Staden, who moves to the bench.
Hanekom’s presence will be felt for the Bulls, but so too will that of captain and lock Ruan Nortjé.
The second-rower has had two cameos off the bench against Zebre and Bayonne as he returned from a lengthy knee injury layoff, and White has now brought him into the starting line-up.
Nortjé will be at No 4, though, with Junior Springbok JF van Heerden being rewarded for his ‘coming of age’ performance against Bayonne with another start at No 5.
The Bulls’ good news didn’t end there, as they were also able to recall two other Boks in hooker Johan Grobbelaar and utility back Canan Moodie, who will play off the bench.
Akker van der Merwe will continue at No 2, but Grobbelaar’s return will see Jan-Hendrik Wessels being able to concentrate on loosehead prop only when he comes on in the second half.
Moodie, who has finally recovered from concussion that he sustained on March 1 against the Stormers, is also among the replacements, with the same starting backline retained from the Bayonne victory.
Bulls Team
15 Devon Williams 14 Sergeal Petersen 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Keagan Johannes 9 Zak Burger 8 Cameron Hanekom 7 Jannes Kirsten 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 JF van Heerden 4 Ruan Nortjé (captain) 3 Wilco Louw 2 Akker van der Merwe 1 Simphiwe Matanzima.
Bench: 16 Johan Grobbelaar 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 18 Mornay Smith 19 Reinhardt Ludwig 20 Marco van Staden 21 Embrose Papier 22 Johan Goosen 23 Canan Moodie.