Injuries might have forced Vodacom Bulls coach Phiwe Nomlomo’s hand, but he continues to juggle mercury in his bid to blend youth and experience.
With injuries to form man Jeandre Rudolph, Chris Smit and prop Dylan Smith, Nomlomo’s squad for this weekend’s Carling Currie Cup fixture against Boland looks very different to what came before.
Five of the pack, including the entire front row, are in their 20s, but the return of captain Nama Xaba from injury, plus the wiles of lock pair Sintu Manjezi and Marvin Orie, adds steel to the pack that will be required away from home. In all, there are 12 under-21s in the squad, seven of them starting this weekend.
“Every game is a massive test from now,” said Nomlomo, conceding how last week’s defeat to the Pumas had put them on the back foot.
He said Sunday’s fixture had more piquancy because the opposition are “our brothers from the other side”, based on dual shareholders. If anything, the outcome is likely to determine just who is the big brother in the relationship.
Nomlomo said the Bulls would be ready for the conditions and atmosphere in Wellington.
“The weather will do what it does; if it’s windy or wet, we have to adjust. We’ve got players who grew up in Boland and know what the environment is like when the crowd gets going. They’ve even got a band and horses there now – it’s busy – so we need to be ready for everything.”
In other significant selections, 20-year-old JJ Theron comes in at No. 8 while Boeta Chamberlain returns to flyhalf and Stravino Jacobs slots in at fullback.
Demitre Erasmus, another member of the SA under-20s, starts at outside centre with Aphiwe Dyantyi, a late withdrawal last weekend, back in harness on the left wing.
Vodacom Buuls:
1. Ruan Swart
2. Juann Else
3. Jean Erasmus
4. Jaco Grobbelaar
5. Marvin Orie
6. Nama Xaba (c)
7. Sintu Manjezi
8. JJ Theron
9. Zak Burger
10. Boeta Chamberlain
11. Aphiwe Dyantyi
12. Cornel Smit
13. Demitre Erasmus
14. Katlego Letebele
15. Stravino Jacobs
16. Esethu Mnebelele
17. Lizo Gqoboka
18. Bryan le Roux
19. Marco Ferreira
20. Junior Pokomela
21. Brooklyn Newman
22. Jaco van der Walt
23. Cheswill Jooste