Red-carded Springboks hooker starts for Bulls as Jake White rests stars against Benetton
Springboks hooker Johan Grobbelaar and Bulls boss Jake White (images supplied by The Blue Bulls Company)
Springboks hooker Johan Grobbelaar starts for the Bulls after a URC Judiciary panel rescinded his red card against Scarlets.
The 26-year-old will start in the front row against Benetton on Friday evening as the Bulls wrap up their tour.
Grobbelaar was given his marching orders in the latter stages of the 23-22 defeat to the Scarlets, shortly coming off the bench. However, the Bulls challenged the decision earlier this week and as was the case with David Kriel a week earlier, they did so successfully.
Grobbelaar starts for the Bulls
The hooker starts alongside Wilco Louw in the front row, with the pair both being added to Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks squad following the injury to Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Loosehead prop Alulutho Tshakweni completes the front row, replacing the injured Wessels.
Star lock Ruan Nortje is rested along with fellow Bok Gerhard Steenekamp, with the duo both starting against the Ospreys but not the Scarlets and now Benetton.
With Nortje missing out, Cobus Wiese is joined by U20 star JF van Heerden in the second row with the latter moving into the starting XV as Ruan Vermaak drops to the bench.
Director of rugby Jake White has made two further changes in his back row with Marcell Coetzee returning at number six and Elrigh Louw replacing Cameron Hanekom at the back of the scrum. Reinhardt Ludwig retains his position in the number seven jumper.
Embrose Papier comes into the starting lineup with Zak Burger dropping to the bench while Boeta Chamberlain is retained as the starting fly-half.
Jake White proved right as Springbok’s controversial red card rescinded as Bulls win another appeal
Meanwhile, David Kriel returns to the inside centre role and starts alongside Canan Moodie. Finally, Willie Le Roux misses a second match in a row with Devon Williams starting at fullback along with Springboks wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Aphiwe Dyantyi.
White has opted for a 5-3 split on the bench with Akker van der Merwe, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Vermaak and Hanekom providing impact in the pack with Keagan Johannes, Stedman Gans and Sebastian de Klerk named as the backline replacements.
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Bulls team v Benetton
Bulls: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 David Kriel, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw (c), 7 Reinhardt Ludwig, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Alulutho Tshakweni
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Sebastian de Klerk
Date: Friday, 25 October
Venue: Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Kick-off: 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Referee: Eoghan Cross
Assistant Referees: Andrea Piardi, Franco Rosella
TMO: Brian MacNeice
Live on: Sky Italia, Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv
