Bulls get Bok boost for Bayonne battle

Cameron Hanekom and Johan Goosen return from injury when the Vodacom Bulls face Bayonne at Parc des Sports in the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 on Saturday.

Jake White has made six personnel changes and one positional switch to the Bulls’ starting XV, from the team that thrashed Italian outfit Zebre Parma at Loftus in the Vodacom URC last week.

While Mpilo Gumede and Ruan Vermaak miss out, Hanekom (back) and Goosen (knee) are in line to feature off the bench in the southwest of France, alongside Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Alulutho Tshakweni, Mornay Smith, Ruan Nortje, Embrose Papier and Stedman Gans.

Loose forward Hanekom last played against URC front-runners Leinster two weeks ago, while fellow Springbok Goosen has been sidelined since an Investec Champions Cup clash with Stade Francais in mid-January.

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Marco van Staden, Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe and Simphiwe Matanzima are promoted after playing off the wood last week, while White has also called on Reinhardt Ludwig to partner JF van Heerden in the second row.

Marcell Coetzee retains the captaincy but shifts from the side of the scrum to No 8 in place of Gumede, forming a new-look back row with Van Staden and Jannes Kirsten.

The Herd, who are currently third in the URC, will back themselves against Bayonne despite winning only one of their four pool matches in the Champions Cup this season to three victories out of four by the French outfit in the Challenge Cup.

White’s charges have proven they can win on the road, with wins against Ospreys, Benetton and Connacht in 2024-25, and thumped Stade Francais 48-7 in Pretoria – the same side that beat Bayonne 31-27 two weeks ago in the Top 14.

BULLS – 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Marcell Coetzee (c), 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Reinhardt Ludwig, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Johan Goosen, 23 Stedman Gans.

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Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images