Bulls’ big guns take aim at Munster

Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White has picked his best possible team for Saturday’s Vodacom URC match against Munster at Thomond Park.

White has strengthened his pack by starting Jan-Hendrik Wessels at loosehead prop and Cobus Wiese in the second row at the expense of Simphiwe Matanzima and JF van Heerden respectively.

In the backline, Embrose Papier and Johan Goosen replace Zak Burger and Keagan Johannes as the halfback pairing. Goosen wears the No 10 jersey for the first time since mid-January after being used off the bench in the Bulls’ two Challenge Cup playoff matches upon his return from a knee injury.

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Springbok Canan Moodie, who was used as a substitute in his comeback match against Edinburgh last weekend, starts on the left wing, with Sebastian de Klerk on the right having served his two-match suspension for foul play.

White said Springbok flank Marco van Staden had returned to South Africa for the birth of his second child.

Loose forward Nizaam Carr was named on the bench but tweaked a muscle during training on Friday and replaced with Mpilo Gumede.

BULLS – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Ruan Nortje (c), 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 1. Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Bench: 16 Johann Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 JF van Heerden, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Stravino Jacobs.

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Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix