Gumede can make Bok statement as Bulls load bench for WP

BLUE Bulls coach Phiwe Nomlomo may have made six changes to his team for today’s Currie Cup showdown with Western Province, but he will again call on six forwards off the bench at Loftus Versfeld (5.15pm kick-off).

That is in contrast to WP mentor John Dobson’s decision to pick just five big men among his substitutes, so there is no doubt where the Bulls’ main threat will come from.

They have a vastly experienced front row in Dylan Smith, Joe van Zyl and Khutha Mchunu, but so do the men from Cape Town, who will call on Lizo Gqoboka, JJ Kotze and Sazi Sandi in the scrum battle.

But it’s on the bench that the hosts have opted for an extra loose forward in former WP captain Nama Xaba, while they have a number of utility forwards in their line-up, such as Cobus Wiese (another former Province player), Jannes Kirsten and Sintu Manjezi, who can all double up at lock and flank.

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“We have decided to stick with the six-two split because there is a couple of things we have seen that we want to work on and maybe a point of entry for us,” Nomlomo said yesterday.

“We have asked our forwards to go deep for us tomorrow.

“We have a really good scrum at the moment and equally, our maul has been unbelievable, so that is what we want to carry on and stamp our mark in the game.”

One of the new faces in the Bulls pack is Junior Springbok lock JF van Heerden, who also featured in the United Rugby Championship last season, while in-form No 8 Mpilo Gumede will hope to produce another barn-storming performance to remind the Springbok selectors of his ability in order to provide front-foot ball for a hard-running backline featuring the likes of Sergeal Petersen, Stravino Jacobs and Aphiwe Dyantyi.

“Some of our changes are injury-enforced and others are rotational. This is where we find ourselves, where some guys are starting to pick up niggles and some picking up serious injuries along the way as well, which is not ideal,” Nomlomo said.

“Equally, we are happy to give guys opportunities. JF returns from the SA Under-20s, so we are looking forward to seeing him on the park.”

The Bulls are unbeaten after three matches and come off a solid 25-13 win over the defending champion Free State Cheetahs in Pretoria last week.

Province, though, only earned their first victory of the campaign by beating the Griffons 64-15 in Welkom last week, but will hope to build on that display and take revenge for their 30-25 loss to the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium in the first round.

“They know what we have and maybe they would be surprised by the changes we have made, but nothing more than that, so I expect a proper derby,” Nomlomo said.

“We all know how it has been in the past, and I do not expect anything different this time around.”

Teams

Bulls: 15 Boeta Chamberlain 14 Sergeal Petersen 13 Aphiwe Dyantyi 12 Chris Barend Smit 11 Stravino Jacobs 10 Jaco van der Walt 9 Zak Burger 8 Mpilo Gumede 7 Merwe Olivier 6 Nizaam Carr (capt) 5 JF van Heerden 4 Cobus Wiese 3 Khutha Mchunu 2 Joe van Zyl 1 Dylan Smith

Bench: 16 Juann Else 17 Jacques van Rooyen 18 Francois Klopper 19 Jannes Kirsten 20 Sintu Manjezi 21 Keagan Johannes 22 Lionel Mapoe 23 Nama Xaba

Western Province: 15 Clayton Blommetjies 14 Courtnall Skosan 13 Wandisile Simelane 12 Jonathan Roche 11 Angelo Davids 10 Jurie Matthee 9 Imad Khan 8 Willie Engelbrecht (capt) 7 Divan Fuller 6 Paul de Villiers 5 Gary Porter 4 Hendré Stassen 3 Sazi Sandi 2 JJ Kotze 1 Lizo Gqoboka

Bench: 16 Scarra Ntubeni 17 Ali Vermaak 18 Corné Weilbach 19 André Goedhals 20 CJ Velleman 21 Labib Kannemeyer 22 Damian Markus 23 Luke Burger