Groepes wings it for Blue Bulls

Maties Varsity Cup product, Hayden Groepes, will make his first Currie Cup start for the Blue Bulls when they play host to the Leopards in Pretoria on Friday evening.

The talented former Stellenbosch - and Boland - ace will wear the No.11 jersey (taking over from veteran John Mametsa) and will no doubt be relishing his first taste of Currie Cup action for the defending champions.

Meanwhile, joining Groepes in the Bulls squad is another former Maties man - scrumhalf Dustin Jinka, who will make his senior provincial debut should he get an opportunity from the bench.

Jinka left Stellenbosch before the start of the Varsity Cup in 2008, but his Bulls teammates, winger Gerhard van den Heever and loose forward Gerrit-Jan van Velze - both of whom are Tukkies men - are Varsity Cup 'veterans'.

The Blue Bulls team: 15 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Jaco Pretorius, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Hayden Groepes, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuün (captain), 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Bees Roux, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Dustin Jinka, 21 Francois Brummer, 22 Stephan Dippenaar.

Kick-off: 7.10pm