Bulls coach Rudy Joubert has dropped his lock pair as he surprisingly made four changes to the side that narrowly lost to the Sharks in the opening Super 12 game at Loftus on Saturday.
Joubert dropped both Springbok locks Danie Rossouw and Geo Cronje ahead of Saturday night’s game against the Hurricanes as he welcomed the return of Bakkies Botha, but then surprised with the selection of Pedrie Wannenburg to join him up front.
Wannenburg has been employed at flank in the pre-season friendlies and Joubert said earlier that he would not consider him at lock at all this season. But Joubert has admitted that Wannenburg’s form against the Sharks had made him hard to ignore and given the fact that he needed to up the ante against the Hurricanes, he decided on the selection.
In other changes another Bok, Christo Bezuidenhout, returns to the loosehead prop position in the place of Wessel Roux while fullback Johan Roets is fit after his ankle injury and comes in for Hennie Daniller. On the bench Bok hooker Danie Coetzee returns to the fold after Dale Santon was released to play provincial rugby because of disciplinary reasons.
Coetzee came through 40 minutes of rugby for the Vodacom Cup Blue Bulls side unscathed against the Griffons on Saturday and looks to be over his shoulder injury. — Sapa
Bulls team: Johan Roets, Eddie Fredericks, Frikkie Welsh, Ettienne Botha, Odwa Ndungane, Derick Hougaard, Norman Jordaan, Anton Leonard (capt), Jacques Cronje, Piet Krause, Pedrie Wannenburg, Bakkies Botha, Andries Human, Gary Botha, Christo Bezuidenhout. Reserves: Danie Coetzee, Wessel Roux, Geo Cronje, Danie Rossouw, Fourie du Preez, Willem de Waal, Sam Willard.