Cape Town – The Bulls won’t have star fullback Kurt-Lee Arendse available for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship quarter-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld (1.45pm kickoff).
Former Blitzboks speedster Arendse has missed the last few matches with a broken thumb, but it was hoped that he would be ready either for the last league game against the Ospreys, or at least the quarter-finals.
Coach Jake White, though, listed Canan Moodie in the No 15 jersey when he announced his team on Friday morning, with David Kriel continuing at right wing.
Moodie has made a successful transition from right wing to fullback, but will be under immense pressure in a knockout game in an unfamiliar position – especially with the Sharks known for launching numerous up-and-unders.
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But White and Moodie will view those kicks as opportunities to counter-attack, where the likes of Madosh Tambwe and Cornal Hendricks will try to unlock the Sharks defence with their pace and footwork.
The only change from the starting XV that beat the Ospreys 38-31 in Wales on May 20 sees Arno Botha come in at blindside flank for the injured Cyle Brink.
There are a few new faces on the bench, though, with Lizo Gqoboka preferred to Simphiwe Matanzima as the back-up loosehead prop, and Reinhardt Ludwig taking Botha’s reserve loose-forward spot. Veteran flyhalf Morné Steyn is also back in place of Juan Mostert.
But the Bulls will have their hands full in trying to turn things around against the Sharks, who won both league encounters against the Pretoria team – 30-16 in Durban in December, and 29-22 at Loftus Versfeld in February.
Bulls team: 15 Canan Moodie 14 David Kriel 13 Cornal Hendricks 12 Harold Vorster 11 Madosh Tambwe 10 Chris Smith 9 Zak Burger 8 Elrigh Louw 7 Arno Botha 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain) 5 Ruan Nortje 4 Walt Steenkamp 3 Mornay Smith 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels 17 Lizo Gqoboka 18 Robert Hunt 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 Reinhardt Ludwig 21 Embrose Papier 22 Morné Steyn 23 Stedman Gans.