Some of the Bulls’ big guns are back for Saturday’s important United Rugby Championship showdown against Munster at Loftus Versfeld.
Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Johan Goosen and Embrose Papier are back in a star-studded back line, while the lightning-fast Sebastian de Klerk did enough against the Northampton Saints to secure his place in the starting team.
Elrigh Louw will captain the home team in place of the injured Marcell Coetzee and will form the loose trio with Reinhardt Ludwig and Cameron Hanekom.
Earlier, the Bulls sweated over Hanekom’s availability for the match after the European rugby bosses watched one of his tackles against the Saints with a magnifying glass.
Hanekom was sent off with a yellow card in the 49th minute of the Pretorians’ Champions Cup quarter-final, but it has since been confirmed that his defensive work does not deserve additional punishment.
Cameron Hanekom is the real deal. ???? pic.twitter.com/OC2VWC1RWm
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) April 15, 2024
For Munster, RG Snyman will line up alongside captain Tadhg Beirne.
The former pupil of Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool has been plagued by injuries in recent years and has only been able to play 432 minutes for his Irish club in four years.
Among other things, he suffered a shoulder injury in the Springboks’ successful World Cup campaign in France, while a virus recently also kept him on the sidelines for a game or two.
Munster earlier confirmed that Snyman will soon be seen in the colors of Leinster.
The match kicks off at 17:05 on Saturday and the action will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
25 seconds of you guys filling the stands ????????
Let’s do it again????
????️TICKETS: https://t.co/1SiDxHNUK5 #BackTheBulls pic.twitter.com/fOAOj4uS7p
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) April 18, 2024
Bulls: Willie le Roux (full back), Sebastian de Klerk (right wing), Canan Moodie (outside centre), David Kriel (inside centre), Kurt-Lee Arendse (left wing), Johan Goosen (fly-half), Embrose Papier (scrum-half), Elrigh Louw (captain and eighth), Reinhardt Ludwig (flank), Cameron Hanekom (flank), JF van Heerden (lock), Ruan Vermaak (lock), Wilco Louw (prop), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop). Substitutes: Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima, Mornay Smith, Janko Swanepoel, Mpilo Gumede, Zak Burger, Chris Smith and Devon Williams.
Munster: Simon Zebo (full back), Calvin Nash (right wing), Antoine Frisch (outside centre), Alex Nankivell (inside centre), Shane Daly (left wing), Jack Crowley (fly-half), Connor Murray (scrum-half), Jack O’Donoghue (eighth man), Alex Kendellen (flank), Peter O’ Mahony (flank), Tadhg Beirne (captain and lock), RG Snyman (lock), Stephen Archer (prop), Niall Scannell (hooker) and Jeremy Loughman (prop). Subs: Eoghan Clarke, Josh Wycherely, Oli Jager, Tom Ahern, Gavin Coombes, Craig Casey, Joey Carbery and John Hodnett.
