Bulls vs Griquas: MASSIVE Squad Shake-Up! You WON'T Believe Why!
The Vodacom Bulls have announced a dramatic reshuffling of their squad for their Carling Currie Cup clash against Suzuki Griquas this Sunday. A staggering twelve changes have been made from the team that faced Boland last weekend, largely due to a mounting injury list and the need to support both the Vodacom URC team and the Under-21s.
Injury Crisis Forces Bulls' Hand
The midfield has been particularly hard-hit, with the Bulls fielding a different pairing for the *fifth* consecutive match. Coach Phiwe Nomlomo acknowledges the challenges, stating, "We want as much continuity as possible, but we must also service the URC side and the U21s. Add injuries to that, and we simply have to adapt."
New Faces Get Their Chance
Despite the setbacks, the reshuffle presents opportunities for several players. Esethu Mnebelele, who impressed in training, earns his first Currie Cup start at hooker, replacing Juann Else. "He’s very exciting," says Nomlomo of the 19-year-old former SA Schools captain and Junior Springbok.
Other changes in the starting XV include Sintu Manjezi shifting from flank to lock, replacing Jaco Grobbelaar, and Dylan de Leeuw stepping in for the injured Marvin Orie. Junior Pokomela moves into the starting loose trio, while SA U20 star Cheswill Jooste gets a start on the right wing.
- Hooker: Esethu Mnebelele starts in place of Juann Else
- Lock: Sintu Manjezi replaces Jaco Grobbelaar
- Lock: Dylan de Leeuw replaces Marvin Orie (injured)
- Flank: Junior Pokomela starts at No 7
- Wing: Cheswill Jooste starts on the right wing
Veteran Coach Joins the Bench!
In a surprising move, former Lions and Scotland loose forward Josh Strauss, now an assistant coach for the Bulls, will provide cover from the bench. His inclusion highlights the severity of the squad's availability issues.
The Bulls will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Boland when they take on Griquas at 3pm at Tuine Grizzlies Rugby Club. Can the reshuffled squad deliver a victory? Tune in to find out!
Bulls Team Lineup:
15 Stravino Jacobs, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 Katlego Letebele, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Zak Burger, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Nama Xaba (c), 5 Dylan de Leeuw, 4 Sintu Manjezi, 3 Jean Erasmus, 2 Esethu Mnebelele, 1 Ruan Swart.
Bench: 16 Shaun Schurmann, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Bryan le Roux, 19 Josh Strauss, 20 Marco Ferreira, 21 Brooklyn Newman, 22 Liam Koen, 23 PA van Niekerk.