Schalk Brits starts for Bulls on Super Rugby return
Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Brits make their return to South African rugby in a Bulls side which also features five Super Rugby rookies when they face the Stormers at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Vermeulen returns to the competition for the first time since 2015 having represented the Cheetahs and Stormers in 109 matches, while Brits, who played for the Cats and Stormers in his career, last saw action in the southern hemisphere showpiece in 2011.
Rosko Specman will be the only tournament debutant in the run-on team though as Bulls head coach, Pote Human, named the former Springbok Sevens player on the wing. Specman has played in the PRO14 competition for the Cheetahs in 2017, but this will be a first taste of the Super Rugby tournament for the two time World Sevens Series winner.
Human also named Corniel Els, Simphiwe Matanzima, Eli Snyman and Dylan Sage on the bench, with all due for a first appearance for the home side in the competition. Matanzima sat on the bench in last season’s match against the Sunwolves in Singapore, but did not take to the field.
Apart from Vermeulen and Brits, there will also be a Bulls debut for replacement prop Dayan van der Westhuizen.
Ruan Steenkamp, who missed the entire 2018 Super Rugby tournament due to injury, is named on the flank.
Human could call on a very experienced core of players, with Burger Odendaal and Handré Pollard in line for their 50th caps later this season, while up front, Trevor Nyakane could play in his 100th Super match during the tournament (running out for his 50th Vodacom Bulls cap on Saturday).
Lood de Jager will lead the team for the first time in the tournament and the lock will combine with Jason Jenkins. The duo last started a match together as the lock combination in March 2018 against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Johnny Kotze, 13 Jessie Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Ruan Steenkamp, 5 Lood de Jager (c), 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Lizo Gqoboka
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Thembelani Bholi, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Dylan Sage
Date: Saturday, February 16
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17:15 local (15:15 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand), Egon Seconds (South Africa)
Television match official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)