Photo by Jorina Raath/Speedshots.co.za
The Vodacom Bulls will aim to break their early-season Vodacom Super Rugby losing streak against the Jaguares in Pretoria on Saturday. The Jaguares almost did enough last weekend to come back against the DHL Stormers and has won two from four matches played in the 2020 season. Kick-off at Loftus Versfeld is at 17h15.
Trevor Nyakane takes over as skipper from the injured Burger Odendaal and will lead a team showing six changes from last weekend’s match. With Odendaal out, Vodacom Bulls coach Pote Human has opted to move Johnny Kotze to inside centre, with Tongan international Nafi Tuitavake set to make his debut for the Pretorians at outside centre.
Embrose Papier gets a run at scrumhalf in a rotational move with Ivan van Zyl, while the introduction of Springbok looseforward Marco van Staden sees a rejigged back row for the clash, with Jeandré Rudolph moving to No 8 and Josh Strauss to the blindside.
It will be a special occasion for Springbok fullback Warrick Gelant, who will earn his 50th Vodacom Super Rugby cap on Saturday. He made his debut in 2016 against the DHL Stormers and has scored 15 tries in the famous blue jersey.
Jaguares head coach Gonzalo Quesada has made nine changes to his team. Forwards Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Francisco Gorrissen, Tomás Lezana and Rodrigo Bruni and backs Emiliano Boffelli and Sebastián Cancelliere are the only players to retain their places in the starting XV.
In total, there are nine changes to the team that lost to the Stormers in Cape Town. Forwards Julian Montoya, Guido Petti, Marcos Kremer and Joel Sclavi are all starting for the Jaguares this week.
In the backs there is a new halfback pairing in the form of Gonzalo Bertranou and Joaquín Díaz Bonilla.
Boffelli moves to the wing this week and Cancelliere takes over the No.14 jersey. Matias Moroni and Jeronimo de la Fuente will form a formidable midfield combination while Santiago Carreras takes over this No.15 jersey this week.
Vodacom Bulls head coach Pote Human was emphatic about his expectations for the match: “Our backs could not be more against the wall at the moment. We have made improvements since the first match but we’re still not doing enough within 80 minutes. We need to get the result.”
The teams:
Vodacom Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Nafi Tuitavake, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Trevor Nyakane (captain), 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka. Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Ruan Steenkamp, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Divan Rossouw.
Jaguares: 15 Santiago Carreras, 14 Sebastian Cancelliere, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Jeronimo de la Fuente (captain), 11 Emiliano Boffelli, 10 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Rodrigo Bruni, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Francisco Gorrissen, 5 Marcos Kremer, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Joel Sclavi, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro. Replacements: 16 Santiago Socino, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Bautista Pedemonte, 21 Domingo Miotti, 22 Juan Cruz Mallia, 23 Santiago Chocobares.