Jesse Kriel hits 50 for Bulls

Editor

Springbok centre Jesse Kriel is set to play in his 50th Super Rugby match when the Bulls take on the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday.

Kriel made his debut for the Bulls in 2014 against the Melbourne Rebels and has been a regular for the Pretoria-based franchise ever since.

Meanwhile, Tim Agaba, who won bronze at the Olympic Games and gold in the World Rugby Sevens Series with the Springbok Sevens team, will make his Bulls debut at number eight as one of three changes to the starting line-up that lost to the Chiefs in Hamilton last weekend.

In other changes, Embrose Papier is in the run-on side for the first time, replacing the injured Andre Warner and Jason Jenkins comes in for RG Snyman at lock.

On the bench, Bulls coach, John Mitchell, included two new faces in Ivan van Zyl and Hendre Stassen, and recalled Frans van Wyk as the replacement tighthead prop. Van Zyl moved into the spot vacated by Papier and Stassen, who is also on debut, will take over from Jenkins as back-up lock.

Van Wyk replaces the suspended Conraad van Vuuren.

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal (c), 11 Divan Rossouw, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Tim Agaba, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Roelof Smit, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Hendre Stassen, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Johnny Kotze

Date: Friday, March 23
Venue: AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 19:35 local (06:35 GMT)
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
Assistant referees: Nick Briant (New Zealand), Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)