Two Boks, Blitzbok return to Bulls lineup

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The Bulls team to take on Griquas at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday is headlined by the return of three key players.

Bulls director of rugby Jake White has made a handful of changes to the team, with Arno Botha, Lionel Mapoe and Kurt-Lee Arendse all gaining starts.

Springbok loose forward Botha will return to the Bulls starting XV when the side hosts Griquas in their Currie Cup round-nine fixture at Loftus.

Botha is one of two changes to the forwards pack, where he replaces Muller Uys at blindside flank. Gerhard Steenekamp’s inclusion in the front row, where he replaces Lizo Gqoboka at loosehead prop, is the only other change to the front eight.

Mapoe makes a return to the side to feature at No 13, alongside inside centre Harold Vorster, with Cornal Hendricks making a shift to the right wing. Arendse will add firepower on the other wing as he replaces Stedman Gans, who will provide cover from the bench this week.

White said ahead of the game: “We are on the back of a disappointing result against a strong Cell C Sharks side, and now we will face an equally committed and dangerous Griquas team. The side from Kimberley have proven that they are a strong competitor in this Currie Cup competition.

“It’s a short turnaround time for us, and we have had a few areas we have had to work on in the past few days to ensure that we can be competitive and bounce back this week. We do hope that the changes we have made will yield positive results, and that we can be able to play our best rugby again on Wednesday.”

The clash with Griquas kicks off at 4:45pm and will be televised on SuperSport.


Photo: Frikkie Kapp/Gallo Images

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SA Rugby magazine