Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann said his decision to test players in new positions, field new combinations and promote five players from the bench into this week’s starting XV did not mean the Bulls saw victory over Zebre Parma as a foregone conclusion.
The teams meet at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 1.45pm) in the United Rugby Championship’s penultimate round before play-offs.
The Bulls sit strongly in seventh, while Zebre are at the bottom of the table without a URC win in six months.
Furthermore, the Bulls have won all four previous contests between the sides, and never by a difference of less than 25 points.
Bulls ring the changes
Ackermann decided to use this fixture to have flanker Marco van Staden start at hooker for the first time, after covering from the bench on the odd occasion, and use fullback Willie le Roux at flyhalf for the first time in over a year.
The pair are among five players elevated to the starting XV, the others being utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels, scrumhalf Paul de Wet and loose forward Jeandré Rudolph.
De Wet and Le Roux will form the Bulls’ halfback pair for the first time, with the experienced Embrose Papier and Handré Pollard on the bench as cover.
Rudolph will play openside flanker for the first time.
“I must make it clear that we are not underestimating Zebre,” Ackermann said. He explained that he wanted to give players who normally play from the bench extra game time by starting.
“Marco has played 25, 30, 35, 20 minutes. At some point, you have to get them ready to play longer if you need them going forward.
“We have a lot of respect for Zebre and what they can bring. If you analyse them they are just unlucky to lose by small margins.”
‘This is a squad effort’
In their last three fixtures, Zebre fell 35-25 to Dragons in their Challenge Cup quarter-final in Italy, and lost 31-30 to Edinburgh in Scotland and 19-18 to Dragons in Italy in the URC.
Ackermann said Springbok lock Ruan Nortjé hurt his hamstring against Scarlets two weeks ago. He was just about better but the Bulls did not wish to risk further injury.
For that reason, 22-year-old JF van Heerden would not just get a rare start, but call the lineouts too.
“This is a squad effort. If we don’t put trust in JF, when will we?
“He will run the lineouts for us and get his playing opportunity, and then next week there will be no questions around Ruan. He will be ready [against Benetton].”
