PRETORIA – Exciting fullback Warrick Gelant has been reinstated in the No 15 jersey for the Bulls for Saturday’s Super Rugby clash against the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld.
Gelant, who is making his way back from a long-term knee injury this year, hasn’t had much game time up until now, having played mainly off the bench.
But with Jan Serfontein being rested as part of his Springbok management plan, it has created an opening in midfield, which sees Jesse Kriel shifting from fullback to No 13 from the team that started in last week’s 26-13 victory over the Jaguares.
Upfront, Springbok Trevor Nyakane is also being rested, and Jacobie Adriaanse will earn his first Bulls Super Rugby start, despite having 29 caps to his name.
Jason Jenkins will partner Lood de Jager in the second row, with RG Snyman dropping to the bench.
“We need to keep on building from last weekend, not only on improving on the good things we did, but also to make sure that winning feeling becomes an addictive one,” Bulls coach Nollis Marais said in a statement on Thursday.
“We need to prove that the win over the Jaguares was the tipping point for us. We always believed we were a better team than the results showed, but we now have another opportunity to go out and prove it.”
Saturday’s match kicks off at 5.15pm.
Bulls Team
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Nic de Jager, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Pierre Schoeman.
Bench: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Martin Dreyer, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Marnus Schoeman/Jacques Potgieter, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Tian Schoeman/Francois Brummer, 23 Franco Naudé.