The Vodacom Bulls are all geared up for their historic quarter-final encounter against Premiership outfit, Northampton Saints in the 2023/24 Investec Champions Cup to be held at the cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday (9pm kick-off).
Jake White’s herd will be led by Nizaam Carr as they make their debut appearance at this stage of club rugby’s coveted knockout competition, only in their second season of participating in the tournament.
Carr lines up at blindside flank alongside Mpilo Gumede at open side whilst Cameron Hanekom straps his boots at eight. In front of the back trio is the lock duo of Janko Swanepoel and JF van Heerden with Simphiwe Matanzima (loose-head prop), Akker van der Merwe (hooker) and Mornay Smith (tight-head prop) making up the front row.
Behind the forwards is the half-back duo of Zak Burger and Chris Smith who will be directing traffic with the support of a backline featuring Stravino Jacobs at left wing and Sebastien de Klerk blitzing on the right-hand side of the park. In between the wingers will be Harold Vorster (inside) and Henry Immelman (outside) who command the troops at centre with Devon Williams providing versatile cover from fullback.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Dylan Smith, Francois Klopper, Merwe Olivier, Reinhardt Ludwig, Keagan Johannes, Jaco van der Walt and Cornal Hendricks will form part of the five-three split impact squad.
Director of Rugby, Jake White says his squad selection this weekend is balanced between rotation, management of players and avoiding long-term injuries based on medical advice as well as experience.
“This is the best team we have available and I am confident in them. I am looking forward to seeing how they do together. I think they are quite an exciting team for the fixture.”
White added: “Six of the guys on this current tour have played in Super Rugby finals and about eight guys have beaten Leinster in Leinster. Cameron Hanekom and Stravino Jacobs return from injury and they were the number one starters in their positions before injury.
“There is also rotation to contend with, which I have said is very important in our group. More importantly, I have medical advice that some guys have bumps and bruises after the last travel (to Leinster) and the last massive game against Lyon, it would have been a massive risk for me to bring them overseas because of the injuries and contusions they have would have probably meant they would not be ready on Saturday, leaving us with a big group of players who would not be able to start on the weekend.”
On Olivier’s call-up, White said: “The reason I put him there is because he covers lock and flank. Northampton have a really big pack of forwards and if you consider him and Ludwig on the bench, both covering lock and flank gives us really good options.
“They have a really good line out and they would offer me a lot size-wise and also options-wise wise and that is why I went with the both of them (Olivier and Ludwig) on the bench because they can both go into the loose forward position. He (Olivier) has played SA Under-20s as has JF, so it is not like we are undermining anything.
“We looked at the team we are playing against, and the conditions and as I have said, I hope that he will take the next step up like all the other juniors like JF, Canan, Jan-Hendrick Wessels and Hanekom. It is something we pride ourselves on how the young players have come through,” Whited added.
When asked about his expectations of the match, the Vodacom Bulls mentor said: “I would like to win. In every competition I have ever played in, I play to win.
“The players have a wonderful opportunity in a great game, a quarterfinal of the Investec Champions Cup and it is a wonderful opportunity for them to make memories and to use this opportunity.
“This is a wonderful competition, one we wish to win,” White concluded.
Bulls starting XV: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastien de Klerk, 13 Henry Immelman, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs; 10 Chris Smith, 9 Zak Burger; 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Celimpilo ‘Mpilo’ Gumede, 6 Nizaam Carr (capt); 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Janko Swanepoel; 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Merwe Olivier, 20 Reinhardt Ludwig, 21 Keagan Johannes, 22 Jaco van der Walt, 23 Cornal Hendricks
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