Wessels gets Bulls shot in Glasgow

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21-year-old Jan-Hendrik Wessels will make his first Vodacom United Rugby Championship start when the Vodacom Bulls take on Glasgow Warriors on Saturday.

The young hooker has been picked to start ahead of veteran Bismarck du Plessis in the injury-enforced absence of Johan Grobbelaar.

Du Plessis is part of an experienced bench, alongside flyhalf Morne Steyn.

The Vodacom Bulls are without flyhalf Johan Goosen, who has been left out of the matchday-23 entirely. In his place, Chris Smith starts in the No 10 jersey.

Vodacom Bulls head coach Jake White confirmed in a press conference on Friday that Goosen was left out due to concerns over his injury record.

“I am not going to risk him on a 4G pitch,” said White. “No Test match that involves a Tier One nation is played on a 4G pitch for a reason. He got injured on that sort of surface before and I just feel from a player welfare view and the fact that he has just comeback from a horrific injury, we should not risk him playing on this pitch.

“I have full confidence in Chris and Morne. They know how we want to play and have executed our plan before.”

Injuries to Canan Moodie and S’bu Nkosi have prompted a reshuffle in the backline as Cornal Hendricks shifts from outside centre to the right wing, Lionel Mapoe starts at outside centre and Stedman Gans starts on the left wing.

After doing duty for the Vodacom Bulls XV in the Toyota Challenge last weekend, Wandisile Simelane is recalled to the bench.

Bulls – 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 David Kriel, 11 Stedman Gans, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Marco van Staden, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Mornay Smith, 19 Janko Swanepoel, 20 Reinhardt Ludwig, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Wandisile Simelane.

Photo: Gallo Images

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Dylan Jack