Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has made 11 changes to his starting lineup for Friday night’s URC clash with Connacht in Galway.
This comes after last weekend’s 28-7 defeat to Ulster – the team’s first loss of the season – with six new players also named on the bench.
In the front row, Alu Tshakweni comes in at loosehead prop for Gerhard Steenekamp, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels moves from the bench to start at hooker in place of Johann Grobbelaar.
Among the locks, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg makes way for Reinhardt Ludwig, who will also captain the side. JJ Theron and Nama Xaba replace Marco van Staden and Mpilo Gumede in the back row.
Paul de Wet and Keagan Johannes are the halfback pairing, with Jan Serfontein replacing Harold Vorster in the midfield alongside David Kriel.
Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard has returned to South Africa for the birth of his second child.
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Willie le Roux starts at fullback with Canan Moodie on the right wing.
The Bulls have won three of their four previous meetings with Connacht, with their only defeat a 34-7 loss in Galway in 2021.
BULLS – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Dawid Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Sebastian de Klerk, 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 JJ Theron, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Reinhardt Ludwig (c), 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Alu Tshakweni.
Bench: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Harold Vorster, 23 Stravino Jacobs.
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Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
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