Victor Matfield will be on the Bulls bench next week after loose forwards Deon Stegmann and Dewald Potgieter were ruled out of the remainder of the tour.

Stegmann injured his groin and Potgieter his bicep against the Hurricanes in Napier.

Wimpie van der Walt will be flown over to replace the injured Stegman, while a reshuffle among the forwards will see Grant Hattingh move to loose forward as replacement for Potgieter and Matfield replace Hattingh as lock cover.

Matfield was supposed to be rested for the entire tour, but these injuries have left coach Frans Ludeke with little choice but to bring him back.

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