Bulls bring Springboks firepower to Wellington for crucial Boland hit-out

The Bulls are heading down to Boland Stadium in Wellington on Friday afternoon with a squad that looks anything but “friendly.”

On paper it may be a warm-up fixture against the Boland Kavaliers, but the Loftus outfit are treating it as a full-on a competitive clash as they fine-tune preparations for the resumption of the United Rugby Championship (URC) next weekend.

While local Springbok heroes Kurt-Lee Arendse, Wilco Louw and Handré Pollard won’t feature in front of their 'home crowd' due to national resting protocols, there’s still plenty of star power on show.

Lock Ruan Nortjé will anchor the pack, while backline stars Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux add spark and experience on the attack. In total, a dozen Springboks form part of the 34-man group set to split duties with planned 50- and 40-minute stints.

Head coach Johan Ackermann’s task is a delicate balance.

With an important SA derby against the Sharks looming at Loftus Versfeld, he’ll want intensity but without that recklessness. The plan is to give all 34 players meaningful game time, maintain rhythm and cohesion, but avoid the kind of knocks that can hurt their return.

There will be wholesale changes for the second half, and the emphasis should be on structure, set-piece accuracy and defensive alignment, but the Bulls are known for highlight-reel moments that could entertain the Wellington crowd.

That Sharks clash offers the Bulls a shot at climbing off the bottom of the South African Shield and it should be motivation enough to ensure they don’t deliver a lacklustre performance in the Winelands. They must hit the ground running against Boland, even if the scoreboard isn’t the primary focus.

Their last outing — a runaway victory over the Lions — brought plenty of momentum into the camp and boosted the Ackermann era. However, the Six Nations break stalled that surge just as it was building. Friday’s encounter is therefore more than a normal practice match; it’s about reigniting that spark so that they can carry it into the duel at Loftus Versfeld.

For Boland, who need to qualify for the Currie Cup through the SA Cup, this is valuable high-intensity preparation. They sparked the domestic season last year, but must start from zero to earn their place amongst the top sides in the country.

Coach Hawies Fourie will be happy that he can test his players against the Bulls’ best and this duel — although friendly in name — could provide some sparks between the four lines. The home team won their last duel 28-20 in Wellington during the 2025 Currie Cup and will want to keep that streak going.

Bulls squad: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Ruan Vermaak, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

Replacements: 16 Alulutho Tshakweni, 17 Juann Else, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 JF van Heerden, 20 Cobus Wiese, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Reinhardt Ludwig, 23 Nizaam Carr, 24 Zak Burger, 25 Willie le Roux, 26 Paul de Wet, 27 Jan Serfontein, 28 Canan Moodie, 29 Cheswill Jooste, 30 David Kriel, 31 Sti Sithole, 32 Khuta Mchunu, 33 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 34 Ruben Groenewald.