The Vodacom Bulls will back themselves to register their first victory ever at Parc y Scarlets against the Scarlets RFC on Saturday at 20:45 (SA Time). The men from Pretoria, who are currently six log positions ahead of the Welshmen, come off three successive wins and know that they have two home games remaining to finish off the league stages.
They will also draw inspiration from the fact that the Scarlets have won only three of their home games this season, but they will be wary of underestimating the hosts, who put up a brave fight against Cardiff last week, and who will be looking to give their supporters something to smile about in what marks their second-last home game in their campaign.
On paper, the only aspect in which the Scarlets come close to their guests in terms of stats is on defence, but if the Vodacom Bulls continue their fine form on attack and build on the defensive effort that saw them concede only one try against the Dragons last week, they will have full belief that another sterling performance all around should set them up for a fourth successive victory.
Scarlets have named their side to face with a mix of experience and emerging talent and a clear eye on the future as the season enters its final phase.
There is a United Rugby Championship debut for academy wing Callum Woolley, who has impressed with his pace and work-rate this season, while Macs Page starts on the left wing, replacing Tom Rogers, who is going through return-to-play head injury protocols.
At 6ft 4in, Woolley has caught the eye for Carmarthen Quins in Super Rygbi Cymru and was called up by Great Britain 7s for the Singapore and Perth legs of the World Series in January.
The 20-year-old from Cardigan comes in on the right wing for Ellis Mee, who sustained an ankle injury early on against Cardiff last weekend. Blair Murray again starts at full-back.
In the centre, Joe Roberts gets the nod in the No 13 jersey, partnering Eddie James, who moves to inside centre.
The half-back pairing of Joe Hawkins and Dane Blacker is retained, providing continuity and control.
Up front, there is just the one enforced change with Wales international Henry Thomas coming in at tight-head prop for Archer Holz (HIA) to pack down alongside Kemsley Mathias and Ryan Elias in an all-Wales international front row.
Sam Lousi continues his partnership with Max Douglas at lock, while the back row of Taine Plumtree, skipper Fletcher Anderson and Jarrod Taylor is unchanged bringing balance, physicality and edge to the contest.
Back-rower Dan Davis will make his 100th Scarlets appearance if he comes off the bench. Davis, another home-grown product to become a club centurion, made his debut in 2017.
Marnus van der Merwe. Josh Morse, Harri O’Connor and Jac Price provide the rest of the forward cover, with Archie Hughes, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones and Ioan Jones covering the backline.
The Vodacom Bulls have significantly bolstered their starting pack and reshuffled the backlin signalling a heavy artillery approach to the Round 16 clash against the Scarlets.
The most critical changes lie in the front five and the back three, with coach Johan Ackermann opting for a blend of returning stalwarts and tactical shifts.
While Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar retain their spots, the inclusion of Wilco Louw at tighthead (replacing Francois Klopper) provides a massive boost to the Vodacom Bulls’ scrumming power. Louw is widely regarded as one of the best scrummagers in the competition, and his presence often dictates the tempo of the set-piece.
Ruan Vermaak moves from the bench into the starting number four jersey, swapping places with Cobus Wiese. This allows the Vodacom Bulls to maintain a high work rate engine room from the first whistle. In the loose forwards, the formidable trio of Marcel Coetzee, Elrigh Louw, and Cameron Hanekom remains intact, providing continuity in a physical back row.
The backline sees the most movement. With Canan Moodie out of the number 11 jersey (hamstring injury), Kurt-Lee Arendse returns to start on the wing, bringing his world-class finishing and high-ball skills back to the fold.
David Kriel shifts from right wing to his preferred position at fullback, replacing Devon Williams. This move makes space for Cheswill Jooste to earn a start on the wing.
Jeandre Rudolph enters the fray as the utility replacement, taking over from Sergeal Petersen, indicating a possible shift toward a more forward-heavy 6-2 bench split if needed.
Teams:
Scarlets RFC: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Callum Woolley, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Macs Page, 10 Joe Hawkins, 9 Dane Blacker, 8 Fletcher Anderson (c), 7 Jarrod Taylor, 6 Taine Plumtree, 5 Max Douglas, 4 Sam Lousi, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Ryan Elias, 1 Kemsley Mathias. Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Josh Morse, 18 Harri O’Connor, 19 Jac Price, 20 Dan Davis, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, 23 Ioan Jones.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Francois Kloppers, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Willie le Roux, 23 Jeandre Rudolph.