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Six changes as Bulls rotate for Cardiff

rugby09 November 2023 12:05| © SuperSport
By:Brenden Nel
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Nizaam Carr © Gallo Images

Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White made a whopping six changes to the side to take on Cardiff in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match in the Welsh capital on Friday night.

While there is a full change at halfback, the backline stays the same and most changes are up front, where only the front row of Simphiwe Matanzima, Akker van der Merwe and Wilco Louw remained unchanged.

Both the co-captains Marcell Coetzee and Ruan Nortje are not in the starting line-up, with Nizaam Carr leading the side into battle as part of a very new looking powerful loose trio.

Carr, who has appeared off the bench this season, will partner with Cyle Brink and the new acquisition from the Sharks Mpilo Gumede, who packs down at eight for the team.

Janko Swanepoel and Reinhardt Ludwig are the young lock duo who will face the Welsh side while at halfback Chris Smith and Embrose Papier both get a chance with Johan Goosen on the bench this week and Keegan Johannes getting a chance off the bench as the Bulls have opted for a six-two split.

Springbok Gerhard Steenekamp is part of the reserve front row with Mornay Smith and the impressive Johan Grobbelaar while two more Springboks - co-captain Nortje and Elrigh Louw are part of the replacements. Cameron Hanekom’s name also pops up as the sixth loose forward for the team.

White said he was trying something different with team selection this week.

“I’ve got to try something different. We know Marcell (Coetzee) and Elrigh (Louw) play all the time and Cameron (Hanekom) we have seen. Elrigh has played every single game for eighty minutes, so the changes give us a chance to see some fresh legs. We signed Mpilo Gumede and Cyle (Brink) played a lot of rugby last year with this team last season and so did Nizaam (Carr) so we are trying new combinations but we do have Cameron and Elrigh on the bench so we could finish with those two as well,” he explained.

“To allow players to have rhythm, I’ll look to give some guys a couple of opportunities to get some minutes under their belts, learn the combinations and then look to change with some fresh legs. We are only in game four of the tournaments so we have some time to play around but this is a good position to be in where you can have three good hookers to choose from or other combinations at the back.”

On Gumede making his debut: “I hope we get to see him as we did against Namibia. He was outstanding against them, and he looked like the real deal for me. He is a good athlete, he is big, and he is a great ball carrier with great feel,”

“I don’t think it is about how he plays but how that combination looks. Him, Cyle and Nizaam are nice and balanced with skillset that complement one another,”

“Without putting pressure on him I just want him to do what he did in that game against Namibia. He had a great impact with great presence, and he offers a lot. Tall guy with presence at the back of the line out as well and as I said he has a bit of everything so he must just go out and enjoy the game on Friday.”

White was also wary of Cardiff at home.

“They have a new coach with Dai Young having left but their new head coach has been with the club and knows the players. One thing we do know is that they play on a 4G pitch, and they caught us on the tempo of the game the last time we were here, and I must say that the opening 20 minutes was very quick so I am sure it will be the same this time around,”

“There could be an element of surprise in that there is a new group of players and new coaches but I do know Welsh rugby and the style of play so I do not think they will go too far away from what they know, and which has been part of their DNA for a long time.

“The conditions do have an impact on the game. If we look at the opening game on tour, we thought we could play with the wind, and it didn’t work out quite well for us. In Parma, we played with the wind and that helped us a lot. We will have a look at what the weather is like when we are in the park and see how we use that to our advantage.”

The Bulls lost their opening tour game 26-19 to Ulster and then scored eight tries to beat Zebre 54-29 last week in Parma to register their first away win.

They won in Cardiff last time out and will be looking to repeat that performance.

TEAM: Devon Williams, Sebastian de Klerk, Stedman Gans, David Kriel, Sergeal Petersen; Chris Smith, Embrose Papier; Mpilo Gumede, Cyle Brink, Nizaam Carr, Janko Swanepoel, Reinhardt Ludwig, Wilco Louw, Akker van der Merwe, Simphiwe Matanzima.

REPLACEMENTS: Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Mornay Smith, Ruan Nortje, Elrigh Louw, Keagan Johannes, Johan Goosen, Cameron Hanekom

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