Libbok finally gets Bulls' No.10 jersey
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Bulls head coach Pote Human has revealed his team to take on the Highlanders in Pretoria on Saturday.
Human made one change to the backs as Manie Libbok gets his first start of the season with Morné Steyn shifting to the bench.
In the pack, Muller Uys and Ian Groenewald will both make their Super Rugby debuts.
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Uys led the Blue Bulls Under-21 to the SA Rugby U21 Championship final last year, where they put in an emphatic effort to beat his former team, Western Province U21.
Groenewald has seen a fair bit of rugby with his journey starting with Maties while representing Western Province and Griquas domestically. The 28-year-old lock also represented Italian club, Verona.
Their inclusion at No.8 and lock respectively is two of three changes in the pack with Ruan Nortje slotting in as Groenewald’s lock partner.
Meanwhile, Ryno Pieterse has been added to the bench to potentially add to his cap.
Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Nafi Tuitavake, 12 Johnny Kotze, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Josh Strauss, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ian Groenewald, 3 Trevor Nyakane (captain), 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Gerhard Steenkamp, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Ryno Pieterse, 20 Ruan Steenkamp, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Morné Steyn, 23 Divan Rossouw.
Date: Saturday, March 7
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17.15 (15.15 GMT; 04.15 NZ time Sunday, March 8)
Referee: AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Egon Seconds (South Africa)
TMO: Willie Vos (South Africa)