Bulls back 11 Springboks to start Glasgow semi-final as intriguing Wilco Louw decision made
Wilco Louw during the warm-up (INPHO/Laszlo Geczo/EPCR Rugby) and an inset of Johan Ackermann.
Johan Ackermann has named a Springboks-laden Bulls team for their United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final against Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.
Marcell Coetzee will captain the side as he earns his 100th Bulls cap and will lead the team for the 77th time. He skippers a side that features 11 Springboks in the starting line-up, including hooker Johan Grobbelaar who runs out for his 150th appearance for the men from Pretoria.
Limited changes from quarter-final success
Ackermann has named the same starting XV that beat Munster in the quarter-finals of the URC, with Francois Klopper retained at tighthead despite Wilco Louw’s return after he missed last week through illness. Klopper features in the front-row along with Springboks Gerhard Steenekamp and hooker Grobbelaar.
Ruan Vermaak and Ruan Nortje are named in the second-row yet again while Coetzee combines with Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom in the loose trio.
Embrose Papier is again named at scrum-half off the back of being named the South African Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Season. He partners Handre Pollard in the half-backs while Harold Vorster and Canan Moodie are the starting centres yet again. Willie le Roux is at full-back with Stravino Jacobs and Kurt-Lee Arendse the starting wingers again.
Ackermann has made changes on the bench, naming a 6-2 bench split with Nizaam Carr replacing Sergeal Petersen. Springbok tighthead Louw is named among the replacements after withdrawing from last weekend’s starting line-up. That means that the Bulls have three Springbok front-rowers on the bench in hybrid flanker-hooker Marco van Staden and loosehead Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
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Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph and Carr are the back-five forward reserves while Zak Burger comes in for Paul de Wet. Stedman Gans rounds out the team.
“It’s a great privilege to be in the Vodacom URC semi-final. After a long season, there are only four clubs left, and we are grateful to be one of those and to play the number one side. It shows the quality of their players, and we have a lot of respect for what they’ve achieved. Added to that is the opportunity to play at an iconic venue like Murrayfield,” Ackermann said.
“It will be an amazing day. It’s a good challenge and one we look forward to, a game of small margins, I suspect.”
Bulls team v Glasgow Warriors
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jeandre Rudolph, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Nizaam Carr
Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Kick-off: 14.30 IRE & UK / 15.30 ITA & SA
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU, 117th league game)
Assistant Referees: Eoghan Cross (IRFU), Robbie Jenkinson (IRFU)
TMO: Olly Hodges (IRFU)
How to watch: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv