New captain and lineup for the Bulls

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has shaken things up ahead of Friday evening’s United Rugby Championship fixture against Connacht in Galway.
This follows last weekend’s defeat to Ulster, the first of the season.

In all, there are 11 changes in the starting lineup, including captaincy and key positions like front row, locks, and backs. There are also six new inclusions on the bench, reflecting a strong rotation.
Leadership changes, too, with Reinhardt Ludwig now captain and David Kriel vice-captain.

In summary, the front row sees Gerhard Steenekamp out, Alu Tshakweni in at loosehead prop; Johann Grobbelaar out, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels moved from the bench to hooker.
Among the locks Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg has been replaced by Ludwig, while the backrow changes see Marco van Staden and Mpilo Gumede moved, and JJ Theron and Nama Xaba introduced.

Paul de Wet and Keagan Johannes come in at halfback with Harold Vorster replaced by Jan Serfontein in the centre, with Kriel back. Handre Pollard has returned to SA for personal family
reasons. Willie le Roux will start at fullback and Canan Moodie will fill the right wing berth.

Connacht arrive for this fixture having struggled recently in the VURC, with only two wins in their last eight matches, and both against Italian opposition. Despite this, the Irish province remain
competitive at home, losing just once in their last four Championship games there, a 21-31 setback against Edinburgh last year.

Connacht’s record against South African teams, however, is less impressive, with just one victory from their last seven encounters, a narrow 36-30 win over the Sharks in Galway in September 2024.
The Bulls face a stern test after their unbeaten start to the current United Rugby Championship was halted by the 28-7 loss to Ulster last weekend. The Bulls have lost their last two away games and have not suffered three consecutive away defeats since October 2023.

Historically, the two sides have clashed four times, with the Bulls holding the upper hand in three wins. Their only loss was a 7-34 defeat in Galway in 2021, adding greater significance to this encounter as they seek to regain momentum.
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BULLS vs CONNACHT
1. Alu Tshakweni
2. Jan-Hendrik Wessels
3. Wilco Louw
4. Cobus Wiese
5. Reinhardt Ludwig (Capt.)
6. Nama Xaba
7. JJ Theron
8. Jeandre Rudolph
9. Paul de Wet
10. Keagan Johannes
11. Sebastian de Klerk
12. Jan Serfontein
13. Dawid Kriel (VC)
14. Canan Moodie
15. Willie le Roux
16. Johan Grobbelaar
17. Gerhard Steenekamp
18. Francois Klopper
19. Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg
20. Mpilo Gumede
21. Embrose Papier
22. Harold Vorster
23. Stravino Jacobs