Rugby
Bulls ready for big game against the Sharks─── 08:24 Fri, 03 Dec 2021
Tighthead prop, Robert Hunt, will earn his first starting berth for the Bulls when they take on a strong Sharks team in a United Rugby Championship clash at Kings Park on Friday night.
Bulls director of rugby, Jake White, announced an exciting 23-man squad that will face a Sharks team that is loaded with international players in the South African derby, which will be a repeat of the previous two editions of the domestic Carling Currie Cup final.
Hunt, who made his debut and played off the bench on the Vodacom Bulls’ four-week tour of Europe in the opening rounds of the URC, will buckle down alongside Gerhard Steenekamp at loosehead prop, with the experienced Bismarck du Plessis starting at hooker.
A few positional switches in the backline will make for an exciting battle against what could potentially be an almost all-Springbok backline for the home side.
Kurt-Lee Arendse will start in the No15 jersey while David Kriel will get an opportunity at outside centre, alongside Cornal Hendricks.
Richard Kriel will earn his URC debut when he lines up on the left-wing.
The Bulls expect a tough encounter in Durban against a dangerous Sharks outfit.
“This is such a big week. It’s not only a local derby, but the game that we have played in the Currie Cup final twice now,” White said.
“They’ve got all these international players, that says a lot for their squad. At home with that kind of team, there is a little bit of a buzz now. It’s like a test match for us, and we are looking forward to it.
“We are looking forward to seeing where we are. We will see Marcell Coetzee getting a crack to play against Siya (Kolisi), you get Bismarck du Plessis and Grobbies (Johan Grobbelaar) playing against Bongi (Mbonambi), and that list goes on.”
The match will kick off at 19h00 and it will be televised on SuperSport.
Bulls - 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 David Kriel, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Richard Kriel, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements - 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Lizo Gqoboka, 19 Jacques du Plessis, 20 Sintu Manjezi, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Harold Vorster