Bulls add serious muscle to the pack
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has added some serious muscle to his pack for the Super Rugby crunch match with the Sharks in Durban on Saturday.
Ludeke also recalled Springbok flyhalf Handré Pollard.
Pollard, who replaces Jacques-Louis Potgieter in the only change to the backline that beat the Reds last week, was rested as part of the agreement with the South African Rugby Union and Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.
However, it is up front where the most significant changes were made.
Veteran Bok hooker Adriaan Strauss returns after also being rested against the Reds.
The Bulls coach also named a new loose trio, lock combination and front row.
In the front row Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe will partner Dean Greyling.
Callie Visagie and Trevor Nyakane both drop down to replacement bench.
Flip van der Merwe will partner Grant Hattingh in the second row for the first time this year.
Jacques du Plessis has been moved to the side of the scrum, where he will partner Deon Stegmann and Pierre Spies.
A fit-again Pieter Labuschagne will make his return to action from the bench - alongside Arno Botha, who started at No.7 against the Reds.
Hanro Liebenberg, Jaco Visagie and Potgieter have been axed from the matchday 23.
"It will be a massive challenge for us, so to have the likes of Handré [Pollard], Adriaan [Strauss] and Pieter [Pieter Labuschagne] back is great," Ludeke said.
Springbok centre Jan Serfontein, who was listed as being 'fit to play' in a medical bulletin earlier in the week, is still having trouble with a hip injury and will be "rested" again this week.
Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (captain), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Morné Mellett, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Arno Botha, 20 Pieter Labuschagne, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Jurgen Visser.
Date: Saturday, April 18
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.05 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Archie Sehlako
TMO: Marius Jonker