Springbok flyer Kurt-Lee Arendse will start at fullback when the Bulls take on Zebre in the penultimate URC round-robin match on Saturday in Pretoria.
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Looking at the Bulls backline, there is little doubt they intend to run Zebre Parma off their feet in Saturday afternoon’s penultimate United Rugby Championship (URC) league clash at Loftus Versfeld.
With Willie le Roux orchestrating matters at flyhalf, Kurt-Lee Arendse slotting in at fullback and the direct, physical presence of Canan Moodie in midfield, the Bulls appear set on playing with tempo and width against the struggling Italians.
“Kurt-Lee’s move to fullback was forced upon us by an injury to David Kriel,” head coach Johan Ackermann explained at his team announcement.
“So, we just want to have a look at our depth and if we are in this scenario (in the future), who will play there for us. We have Devon (Williams), and Willie, but he has played more at flyhalf over the last time.”
It is a backline packed with pace, creativity and finishing ability, and the Pretoria outfit will be eager to turn Loftus into a launching pad for an entertaining afternoon of attacking rugby. Yet for all the excitement behind the scrum, the Bulls know their ambitions will ultimately depend on the work done up front.
The foundation for a running approach must come from the pack, where captain Marcell Coetzee and his fellow loose forwards Cameron Hanekom and Jeandré Rudolph will carry a big responsibility. Despite a much-changed tight five, the Bulls forwards will be expected to dominate the collisions and control the set-pieces.
“We want Cameron to continue playing, he is on game five post his injury return and he is getting better. Marcell is also on form, so we had to decide about the No 7 jersey. Mpilo Gumede is doing good things off the bench for us and he brings that energy. Jeandré is an 80-minute player and it gives us the option to move things around. We feel that loose trio brings a good balance.
“I want to make it clear that we are not underestimating Zebre with the changes. We just want to get starting minutes into the guys who have mostly played off the bench this season. Somewhere you need to get them ready to play for longer when if something happens going forward. We have a lot of respect for Zebre and what they’ve achieved. They are unlucky at times with small margins.”
If the Bulls can win the battle up front and generate momentum through the forwards, the dangerous backline waiting outside will relish the opportunity to attack from broken play and stretch the visitors defensively.
There will also be extra motivation surrounding Arendse, who could be playing one of his final matches at Loftus before departing at the end of the season. The Springbok speedster remains one of the competition’s most lethal attacking threats and will be determined impress the home supporters.
With a potential home play-off still within reach, the Bulls can ill-afford to ease off. A convincing victory, coupled with a valuable four-try bonus point, will be firmly in their sights as they look to strengthen their position on the URC table and build momentum heading into the business end of the season.
“We need to overcome Saturday first, that is the priority to keep ourselves in the running for the play-offs. Where we end up, is out of our control. But how we finish starts against Zebre.”
Bulls XV
15 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Willie le Roux, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 6 Jeandré Rudolph, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Marco van Staden, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Handré Pollard, 23 Stedman Gans.