Pollard blow for Bulls

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 02: Handre Pollard during the Vodacom Bulls training session and press conference at Loftus Versfeld on April 02, 2015 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Johan Rynners/Gallo Images)

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 02: Handre Pollard during the Vodacom Bulls training session and press conference at Loftus Versfeld on April 02, 2015 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Johan Rynners/Gallo Images)

Published Apr 2, 2015

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Johannesburg – The Bulls have made three changes to their starting line-up to face the Lions in their Super Rugby derby match at Ellis Park.

At flyhalf, Jacques-Louis Potgieter takes over from the injured Handré Pollard.

Springbok flyhalf Pollard has failed to recover from a knock to the knee that he suffered in the win against the Crusaders last week.

Coming off an impressive 31-19 win against the much-fancied Crusaders last week at Loftus, the Bulls made two other changes to their starting XV.

At lock, Grant Hattingh comes in for veteran Victor Matfield, while Dean Greyling scrums down at prop for Morne Mellet.

Matfield and centre Jan Serfontein are being rested as per agreement with SA Rugby.

The Bulls will be hoping the Lions cannot repeat their form on their Australasian tour where they picked up three victories, and returning to their home ground could heap on the pressure to keep their winning streak alive.

The match will also mark benched scrumhalf Piet van Zyl’s 50th Super Rugby match.

Bulls team: 15 Jesse Kriel , 14 Francois Hougaard , 13 JJ Engelbrecht , 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (c), 7 Hanro Liebenberg, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Dean Greyling.

Replacements: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Morné Mellett, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Jurgen Visser. – ANA

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