Wessels back for Bulls after suspension, but Nortje, Van Staden, Moodie miss Sharks clash
UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP
Bulls utility front rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels will be keen to get his hands on the ball when he makes his return from suspension against the Sharks on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship.
Image: BackpagePix
The most enthusiastic player on the Kings Park pitch on Saturday is bound to be Bulls utility front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who is making his comeback from a controversial nine-week suspension.
Just about everybody south of the rugby equator deemed it to be a wrongful incarceration because there was never any evidence that Wessels had, indeed, touched the nether region of Connacht flank Josh Murphy during a United Rugby Championship clash in October.
It amounted to Wessels’ word against that of Murphy, and the judgment of a trio of Welshmen. Wessels had to bite the bullet and miss the Springboks' five-match end-of-year tour.
He will play off the bench against the Sharks in the SA derby in Durban.
The return of Wessels is one of 11 changes made by coach Johan Ackermann to the starting XV that lost 50-5 to the Northampton Saints last week in the Champions Cup.
In other changes, Willie le Roux slots in at fullback, Handré Pollard returns at flyhalf, and Embrose Papier takes over at scrumhalf. David Kriel and Sebastian de Klerk are back in the midfield and wing, respectively, adding experience and strike power alongside Harold Vorster and Stravino Jacobs.
Up front, Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, and Wilco Louw form a heavyweight front row, while Jeandré Rudolph comes in at blindside flank. Elrigh Louw captains the side from No 8, with JJ Theron completing the loose trio.
On the other side of the Springbok coin, the Bulls will be without the influential lock Ruan Nortje, the rugged flank Marco van Staden, and utility back Canan Moodie. The trio are being rested in line with national team protocols.
Akker van der Merwe, Wessels, Reinhardt Ludwig, and Devon Williams join Nizaam Carr, Paul de Wet, and Stedman Gans on the bench.
Bulls team for Sharks
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Elrigh Louw (c), 6 Jeandre Rudolph, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Reinhardt Ludwig, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Devon Williams.