Jono Ross will captain the Blue Bulls in the absence of the suspended Deon Stegmann for the match against the Sharks in Pretoria on Saturday.
Stegmann misses the match after receiving a red card in the victory over the EP Kings last weekend. Ross served as captain during last year's Currie Cup campaign and will lead a side that boasts four changes from the one that did the job in Port Elizabeth.
Wiaan Liebenburg replaces Stegmann on the openside, while hooker Callie Visagie returns to the starting lineup after sitting out last weekend's match.
Among the backs, Rudy Paige continues his rotation with Piet van Zyl at scrumhalf while Sampie Mastriet replaces Akona Ndungane on the wing, with the latter missing out altogether.
Prop Morné Mellett (knee) and fullback Jesse Kriel (ankle) have recovered from injury and will take their place on the bench.
Blue Bulls – 15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Sampie Mastriet, 13 William Small-Smith, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Jono Ross (c), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Wiaan Liebenberg, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling.
Subs: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Morné Mellett, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Piet van Zyl, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Jesse Kriel.
Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
