Bulls tweak line-up for high-stakes showdown with Lions

Four new inclusions, two positional switches and one player making way.

This is the sum total of Vodacom Bulls coach Phiwe Nomlomo’s selection for Saturday’s Carling Currie Cup fixture against the Fidelity ADT Lions at Ellis Park.

Up front, Simphiwe Matanzima replaces Ruan Swart at loosehead prop, while Bryan le Roux comes in for Jean Erasmus at tighthead.

In the backline, there’s a reshuffle too: Jaco van der Walt slots in at flyhalf, with Boeta Chamberlain moving from 10 to fullback.

Chris Barend Smit earns a start at inside centre, with Cornel Smit shifting one channel out to 13.

Stravino Jacobs, meanwhile, drops out of the starting line-up on account of injury.

While the Bulls hold a historical 4-1 lead over their Gauteng rivals, the recent momentum favours the Lions who secured a decisive 57-33 victory in their last meeting a year ago. The Lions have won three of their last five matches, compared to the Bulls' two wins in the same period.

Fidelity ADT Lions starting XV: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids; 10 Chris Smit, 9 Nico Steyn; 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod Cairns; 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom; 3 RF Schoeman, 2 PJ Botha (capt), 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Sebastian Lombard, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Tian Wessels, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Eduan Keyter.

Vodacom Bulls starting XV: 15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Cornel Smit, 12 Chris Barend Smit, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi; 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Zak Burger; 8 JJ Theron, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Nama Xaba (capt); 5 Dylan de Leeuw, 4 Sintu Manjezi; 3 Bryan le Roux, 2 Esethu Mnebelele, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima. Replacements: 16 Shaun Schurmann, 17 Ruan Swart, 18 Cohen Kievit, 19 Abri van der Westhuizen, 20 Marco Ferreira, 21 Brooklyn Newman, 22 PA van Niekerk, 23 Katlego Letebele.