Cape Town — Jake White has opted to select a mix-and-match Blue Bulls side for Saturday’s Currie Cup clash against Western Province, adding that he has “rewarded” some players for their form in recent weeks.
While WP coach John Dobson chose to field a regular Currie Cup match-23 at Cape Town Stadium (6.30pm kickoff), White will field several big guns such as Kurt-Lee Arendse, Johan Goosen, Marco van Staden and Gerhard Steenekamp in the starting XV, while the bench is loaded with Johan Grobbelaar, Mornay Smith, Embrose Papier and Harold Vorster.
🚨 TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 28, 2023
Here is your Vodacom Bulls team to take on DHL Western Province in the Currie Cup tomorrow 🏆 #WPvBUL | #TrueToTheBlue pic.twitter.com/B9O3FoUKuF
It is an exciting backline mix as well, with Arendse joined by Wandisile Simelane and David Kriel on the wings, while Stedman Gans and Cornal Hendricks are reunited in midfield.
Two of the more intriguing selections are at scrumhalf and No 8, where Keagan Johannes and WJ Steenkamp will look to make their case for inclusion in the URC side for next weekend’s quarter-final against the Stormers in Cape Town.
Johannes has been excellent in a couple of cameo roles off the bench and whenever he has started this season in both the URC and Currie Cup, and he is a similar attacking type of player to Springbok halfback Embrose Papier.
Big No 8 Steenkamp has the pace to match his size, and is a powerful ball-carrier who can get the Bulls over the advantage line.
“It is about giving some of the guys game-time, and to be fair, rewarding them for the way they’ve played in the last couple of games as well,” White said on Friday.
“A lot of the guys have played really well in the time they’ve been on the field. A guy like Jan-Hendrik Wessels played a lot and has had lots of minutes in the Currie Cup and played well, and I would like to see him with the other forwards that he hasn’t played with for a while.”
White also confirmed that regular captain Marcell Coetzee will rejoin the Bulls next week after his stint in Japan, and the loose forward will be involved in the URC quarter-final against the Stormers.
Blue Bulls Team: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse 14 Wandisile Simelane 13 Stedman Gans 12 Cornal Hendricks 11 David Kriel 10 Johan Goosen 9 Keagan Johannes 8 WJ Steenkamp 7 Reinhardt Ludwig (captain) 6 Marco van Staden 5 Janko Swanepoel 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Francois Klopper 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Substitutes: 16 Johan Grobbelaar 17 Simphiwe Matanzima 18 Mornay Smith 19 Ruan Vermaak 20 Cyle Brink 21 Embrose Papier 22 Chris Smith 23 Harold Vorster.
IOL Sport