Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann has kept the faith by naming an unchanged matchday squad for Friday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) final against Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin.
Ackermann has rewarded the players who were on duty in the Pretoria-based outfit’s thrilling 22-21 comeback triumph against Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield a fortnight ago.
There are 16 Springboks in the matchday squad, of which 11 have been included in the starting line-up with five named amongst the replacements, while Marcell Coetzee captains the team from the openside flank.
Bulls name unchanged team for URC final
Coetzee is joined in the back-row by Cameron Hanekom, who starts at number eight, and Elrigh Louw, who starts on the blindside flank.
Friday’s encounter will be a momentous occasion for Boks lock Ruan Nortje as he will make his final appearance for the Bulls in this match before joining an unnamed Japanese club.
The 27-year-old has spent his entire senior career with the Bulls, becoming a stalwart at the club after making his debut in 2018.
Nortje will pack down in the second-row alongside Ruan Vermaak, while the pack is completed by Johan Grobbelaar, who continues at hooker. Francois Klopper and Gerhard Steenekamp are the starting props.
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In the backline, experienced playmaker Handre Pollard will start at fly-half and forms a halfback combination with South African URC Player of the Season Embrose Papier while Harold Vorster and Canan Moodie are the two centres.
Meanwhile, veteran full-back Willie le Roux forms part of an exciting back three alongside Kurt-Lee Arendse and Stravino Jacobs, who are the starting wingers.
Ackermann has, once again, opted for six two split on his bench with Marco van Staden, Jan Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph and Nizaam Carr named as the forward replacements with Zak Burger and Stedman Gans offering backline cover.
The men from Pretoria and Leinster are set for a repeat of last year’s final, which the Irish province won 32-7.
Leinster booked their spot in this year’s final after securing a hard-fought 20-11 triumph over the Stormers in their semi-final at the Aviva Stadium.
Bulls team for URC final against Leinster
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Francois Klopper, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jeandre Rudolph, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Nizaam Carr
Date: Friday, June 19
Venue: Croke Park (Dublin)
Kick-off: 19:30 (local Dublin), 19:30 (UK), 20:30 (France), 20:30 (South Africa), 04:30 (20 June, AEST), 06:30 (20 June, New Zealand), 15:30 (Argentina), 03:30 (20 June, JST), 14:30 (EDT)
Referee: Andrea Piardi (FIR)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (WRU), Ben Breakspear (WRU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Live on: Premier Sports, SuperSport, Flo Rugby & URC.tv