Elrigh Louw is among eight changes to the Vodacom Bulls lineup to face the Northampton Saints in round 2 of the Investec Champions Cup in Pretoria on Saturday.
Louw, who makes his first appearance since returning from Springbok duty, takes over the captaincy from Johan Grobbelaar for the Herd’s return to Loftus Versfeld following last week’s defeat to Saracens in London.
However, World Cup-winning Bok flanker Marco van Staden has been ruled out due to ankle surgery.
Tighthead prop Wilco Louw, hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels and lock Deon Slabbert have also been recalled. Wessels has recovered from an ankle injury while Slabbert is set to have his first run since rejoining the Bulls on his second loan spell in the capital.
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Louw slots into the front row alongside Gerhard Steenekamp and hooker Akker van der Merwe. Ruan Vermaak and JF van Heerden team up at lock, with skipper Louw, Marcell Coetzee and Cameron Hanekom forming the back row.
Director of rugby Jake White has named an unchanged backline. The other changes to the matchday squad are on the bench, with Nama Xaba, Zak Burger, Boeta Chamberlain, Stedman Gans, Alulutho Tshakweni and Francois Klopper to play off a 5-3 bench.
Bulls – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 David Kriel, 11 Devon Williams, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw (c), 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Subs: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Deon Slabbert, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Stedman Gans.
Saints in South Africa 🇿🇦
Here is how we line up for Round 2 of the #InvestecChampionsCup https://t.co/Ah10HhrMLl pic.twitter.com/AZLDtF9HdA
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) December 13, 2024
Photo: Christiaan Kotze/Gallo Images
