Johan Goosen has replaced flyhalf Chris Smith in the Vodacom Bulls lineup to face Benetton at Loftus Versfeld in the Vodacom URC on Saturday.
Goosen, who last featured on 20 April against Munster before receiving a three-week suspension for a dangerous tackle, links up with scrumhalf Embrose Papier in the starting XV as the only change to the team that beat the Glasgow Warriors in Pretoria last week, with Smith moving to the replacements bench.
The backline is otherwise unchanged, with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie retained at left and right wing, respectively, while Harold Vorster and David Kriel line up at centre, with Willie le Roux at fullback.
In the forwards, Gerhard Steenekamp (loosehead), Akker van der Merwe (hooker) and Wilco Louw (tighthead) are in the front row, as skipper Ruan Nortje and Ruan Vermaak combine at lock. Elrigh Louw starts at blindside flanker in a powerful loose trio with Marco van Staden and Cameron Hanekom.
Johan Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Francois Klopper, Reinhardt Ludwig, Nizaam Carr, Keagan Johannes, Sebastian de Klerk and Smith are set to make an impact off the wood.
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“It’s nice to have a guy like Johan return because you know what he offers,” Bulls director of rugby Jake White said.
“Saying all of that, Chris is also highly rated in our fold, he is not flashy and very consistent and so that makes for nice competition for the jersey.”
On their opponents this week, White added: “They are seasoned internationals who have played for Italy and did well against England. They beat the Sharks last week in Durban with a good team, nothing makeshift.
“They deserve to be in the top eight as they currently are now and they beat us in the Rainbow Cup a few years ago. There is no reason for us to underestimate them.
“They have done well, recruited well and their season has been good and they have beaten some good teams as well.”
With two rounds of the regular season remaining in the URC, White’s charges are in fourth place, while Benetton remains in the race to the final eight from the final playoff position.
“This weekend has so many permutations still. We could win and still remain in fourth. That is what’s nice about the competition, it all goes down to the final weekend,” he said.
Bulls – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (c), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Sebastian de Klerk.
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images