The first leg of a doubleheader at Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg, with the seventh-placed Bulls no doubt looking for a bonus point victory to stay on course for the play-offs against Zebre Parma on Saturday at 13:00 (SA Time).
The Vodacom Bulls will be firm favourites with Zebre not having won a game so far this season. The Bulls ended a losing run of their own last weekend by thumping the Griquas 40-3 in the Currie Cup, running in six tries.
The Vodacom Bulls are lingering in the top half of the log throughout the season and with eight victories to none by the Italians, whose only points this season were compliments of bonus points.
The Pretoria outfit may be playing in Johannesburg this weekend, but the fact that they are familiar with Emirates Airline Park and will be playing in the same conditions only 60 km away from their home, will count in their favour against a team who have been largely inferior statistically this season, with 177 fewer points scored and conceded.
When the Vodacom Bulls first faced Zebre Parma they cruised to a six-try, 45-6 victory at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in February last year. Though Jake White’s team will be confident of producing another compelling performance against winless Zebre, there is nothing more dangerous in rugby than a team with nothing to lose.
Johan Goosen will get his first Vodacom Bulls start in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship since recovering from his shoulder repair seven weeks ago. The fly-half returns to the mix as the 2022/23 campaign nears the business end.
Goosen slots in at 10 alongside scrum-half, Embrose Papier as the halfback combination. A forwards pack with Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Mornay Smith in the front row will be ahead of the pair, supported by Ruan Vermaak and club captain, Ruan Nortje at lock. Marco van Staden, Cyle Brink and Elrigh Louw will add weight from the back row.
The backline will have David Kriel (left) and Canan Moodie (right) in the wings. Harold Vorster (inside) and Stedman Gans (outside) will combine as the centre pairing with Kurt-Lee Arendse at full-back.
Bismarck du Plessis, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Janko Swanepoel, WJ Steenkamp, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith and Cornal Hendricks will potentially get a run from the bench.
Teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 David Kriel, 10 Johan Goosen 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (c), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 WJ Steenkamp, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Cornal Hendricks.
Zebre Parma: 15 Richard Kriel, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Erich Cronjé, 12 Enrico Lucchin, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Geronimo Prisciantelli, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Davide Ruggeri, 7 Iacopo Bianchi, 6 Guido Volpi, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 David Sisi (c), 3 Matteo Nocera, 2 Jacques Du Toit, 1 Paolo Buonfiglio. Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Alessio Sanavia, 18 Muhamed Hasa, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Giacomo Ferrari, 21 Chris Cook, 22 Tiff Eden, 23 Jacopo Trulla.