An exciting Vodacom Bulls side will take on the Toyota Cheetahs in a Carling Currie Cup encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.
Vodacom Bulls’ Carling Currie Cup head coach, Gert Smal, has selected a team with a balance of youth and experience which will see the centre pairing of Cornal Hendricks and Stedman Gans in the backline, while winger, Stravino Jacobs, makes a return to the starting XV.
Teenage flanker, Cameron Hanekom, will earn a starting berth at blindside flank where he will partner up with WJ Steenkamp on the openside and Muller Uys at No8.
The Vodacom Bulls will unleash a solid starting front row which includes Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop, Robert Hunt on the other side of the scrum and Schalk Erasmus starting in the No2 jumper.
“The team had a week’s break after the opening two matches of the Carling Currie Cup season where we have had an opportunity to work on areas that we felt we needed to improve and those we felt we could further enhance where we thought we did well in the matches against the Airlink Pumas and DHL Western Province,” said Smal.
“We now have the tough task of facing a dangerous Toyota Cheetahs team whom we know will give us a good challenge. We expect the side from Bloemfontein to come to Loftus Versfeld highly motivated, and they will give us both a physical and running game on Wednesday night.
The Vodacom Bulls team to face the Toyota Cheetahs is:
Vodacom Bulls (15-1): David Kriel (Betway Centurion), Sibongile Novuka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Stedman Gans (Northam), Cornal Hendricks (CAPT, Northam), Stravino Jacobs (Harlequins), Chris Smith (Harlequins), Marco Jansen van Vuren (Pretoria); Muller Uys (FNB Tuks), Cameron Hanekom (Harlequins), WJ Steenkamp (Tuine), Janko Swanepoel (Pretoria), Reinhardt Ludwig (FNB Tuks), Robert Hunt (Harlequins), Schalk Erasmus (Tuine), Gerhard Steenekamp (ABE Midas Naka Bulle). Replacements: (16-23): Joe van Zyl (Harlequins), Lizo Gqoboka (ABE Midas Naka Bulle), Sebastian Lombard (Betway Centurion), Raynard Roets (Betway Centurion), Jaco Labuschagne (Pretoria), Keagan Johannes (FNB Tuks), FC du Plessis (Betway Centurion), Richard Kriel (Tuine).