Jake White Bulls coach Jake White has picked the most possible strong squad for Munster. | AFP
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Bulls coach Jake White has picked his strongest team of the year for Saturday’s crunch encounter with Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick.
No South African team has ever beaten Munster on their home turf — they have arguably the world’s most fanatical supporters — and White knows he needs his best combination to end the drought.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels comes in at loosehead prop while Cobus Wiese is over his injury and joins Ruan Nortje in the second row. Wessels has been in fine form playing off the bench and replaces Simphiwe Matanzima. Wiese takes over from JF van Heerden.
White has made important changes to his halfbacks, with former Springboks Embrose Papier and Johan Goosen replacing Zak Burger and Keagan Johannes, respectively.
Goosen has been eased back into rugby with performances off the bench in the Bulls’ Challenge Cup matches against Bayonne and Edinburgh, but now starts his first match since injuring his knee in January.
Springbok Canan Moodie also played off the bench against Edinburgh but has regained his starting position on the left wing, while Sebastian de Klerk is back on the right after having completed his two-match suspension for foul play.
Springbok flank Marco van Staden has been given Paternity leave — he has returned to Pretoria for the birth of his second child.
White said his team is determined to be the first South African team to beat Munster in Ireland.
“Records are there to be broken and this Bulls team has been nailing a lot of ‘firsts’ over the last year or so,” the former Springbok coach said. “We know we have to be at our absolute best. This Munster side enjoys remarkable support — all over the city, there are reminders of how important the rugby team is to the people.”
Bulls Team
15 Devon Williams 14 Sebastian de Klerk 13 David Kriel 12 Harold Vorster 11 Canan Moodie 10 Johan Goosen 9 Embrose Papier 8 Cameron Hanekom 7 Jannes Kirsten 6 Marcell Coetzee 5 Ruan Nortje (captain) 4 Cobus Wiese 3 Wilco Louw 2 Akker van der Merwe 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Bench
16 Johann Grobbelaar 17 Simphiwe Matanzima 18 Mornay Smith 19 JF van Heerden 20 Nizaam Carr 21 Zak Burger 22 Keagan Johannes 23 Stravino Jacobs.
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