Greyling to scrum down for Bulls

Editor

Dean Greyling will make his first start for the Bulls this season in Saturday's Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs at Loftus Versfeld.

Dean Greyling will make his first start for the Bulls this season in Saturday's Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs at Loftus Versfeld.

Greyling missed the first part of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot and played his way back to match fitness with some stellar performances in the Vodacom Cup for the Blue Bulls side in the last couple of weeks.

He replaces Mornè Mellett, who has started in all eight matches this season. The change at prop is one of four made by Bulls coach Frans Ludeke from the side that outplayed the Kings, with the return of fit-again players the main criteria in selection.

Try-scoring ace Bjorn Basson will start on the left wing ahead of Lionel Mapoe and Dewald Potgieter will take over from Deon Stegmann in the fetcher role. Werner Kruger also comes in for injured Frik Kirsten at tighthead.

Francois Hougaard has being cleared following an ankle injury and will play of the bench ahead of Rudy Paige, while Wilhelm Steenkamp will replace the injured Paul Willemse as the third lock in the squad.

Willie Wepener replaces Callie Visagie as back-up hooker.

“We finally played the rugby we wanted last weekend and the challenge will be to back it up against the Waratahs,” said Ludeke.

“They are dangerous opponents and at this level the margins are very small, so we cannot afford to play at any level other than our best.”

Bulls: 15 Jürgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson , 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Pierre Spies (c), 7 Arno Botha, 6 Dewald Potgieter, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Hencus van Wyk, 18 Paul Willemse, 19 Jacques Potgieter, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Louis Fouchè, 22 Lionel Mapoe.

Date: Saturday , April 27
Venue: Loftus Versfeld
Kick-off: 17:05 (15:05 GMT)
Referee: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Sindile Mayende (South Africa), Ben Crouse (South Africa)
Television match official: Gerrie Coetzee (South Africa)