Johannesburg - Flyhalf Handre Pollard makes a return to the Bulls starting lineup ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Sharks, at Kings Park, in Durban, on Saturday.
The 21-year-old flyhalf was rested in the Bulls’ previous fixture as part of the Saru agreement to rest Bok players during the competition.
Pollard was the only change to the backline that beat the Reds 43-22 at Loftus Versfeld last week, but it was among the forwards where coach Frans Ludeke made a number of readjustments.
In the pack, Adriaan Strauss returns after the hooker was also rested against the Reds, while Ludeke also picked a new loose trio, lock combination and front row to face the coastal side.
In the front row, Strauss and Marcel van der Merwe will start with Dean Greyling, with Callie Visagie and Trevor Nyakane moving to the bench. The lock combination of Flip van der Merwe and Grant Hattingh will pack down together for the first time this year, with Jacques du Plessis moving to the side of the scrum, where he will partner Deon Stegmann and captain Pierre Spies.
A fit-again Lappies Labuschagne will start from the bench, alongside Arno Botha, who started at seven against the Reds.
Bulls team: 15 Jesse Kriel , 14 Francois Hougaard, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Pierre Spies (capt), 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Dean Greyling. Replacements: Callie Visagie (43), Morné Mellett (32), Trevor Nyakane (50), Arno Botha (25), Lappies Labuschagne (32), Piet van Zyl (51), Tian Schoeman (2), Jurgen Visser (28). – ANA