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All Blacks dig deep to deny Stormers in ill-disciplined RGR opener
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Bulls move Willie Le Roux to lesser seen position for Zebre Parma
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Willie le Roux will start at fly-half for the Vodacom Bulls against Zebre on Saturday, a rare shift for a player who has made the overwhelming bulk of his career appearances at fullback.
Across his senior starts, Le Roux has featured 202 times at fullback (89 per cent), with limited outings on the wing (6 per cent) and just 12 starts at fly-half across his storied career (5 per cent).
Springbok No.10 Handre Pollard drops to the bench.
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The change headlines a broader reshuffle to the Bulls’ matchday 23.
Kurt-Lee Arendse returns at fullback, while Cheswill Jooste comes onto the wing. Canan Moodie shifts infield to outside centre to partner Harold Vorster. Paul de Wet starts at scrum-half, forming a new half-back pairing with Le Roux, with Embrose Papier and Pollard held in reserve.
United Rugby Championship
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
Stormers
16
12
4
0
56
2
Glasgow
16
11
5
0
55
3
Lions
16
10
5
1
53
4
Leinster
16
10
6
0
53
5
Munster
16
10
6
0
51
6
Cardiff Rugby
16
10
6
0
50
7
Bulls
16
10
6
0
49
8
Ulster
16
9
7
0
47
9
Connacht
16
8
8
0
44
10
Sharks
16
6
9
1
36
11
Ospreys
16
6
8
2
35
12
Edinburgh
16
6
10
0
33
13
Benetton
16
6
8
2
33
14
Dragons RFC
16
3
10
3
25
15
Scarlets
16
4
11
1
24
16
Zebre
16
2
14
0
15
Up front, the entire front row is changed from the previous outing. Jan-Hendrik Wessels starts at loosehead, Marco van Staden packs down at hooker and Wilco Louw comes in at tighthead.
Behind them, JF van Heerden is selected at lock, with Ruan Vermaak also starting in the second row. Ruan Nortje drops out of the XV.
Marcell Coetzee captains the side from blindside flanker, switching from his previous role, while Jeandre Rudolph comes in at openside. Cameron Hanekom continues at No.8.
The bench carries a number of players who started last time out. Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp and Francois Klopper provide front-row cover, with Cobus Wiese included as lock reinforcement.
Papier is in line for his 170th appearance for the Bulls, which would take him past Joost van der Westhuizen as the franchise’s most-capped scrum-half.
Vodacom Bulls XV
1. Jan Hendrik Wessels
2 Marco van Staden
3. Wilco Louw
4. Ruan Vermaak
5. JF van Heerden
6. Marcell Coetzee (c)
7. Jeandre Rudolph
8. Cameron Hanekom
9. Paul de Wet
10. Willie le Roux
11. Sergeal Petersen
12. Harold Vorster
13. Canan Moodie
14. Cheswill Jooste
15. Kurt-Lee Arendse
Replacements
16. Johan Grobbelaar
17. Gerhard Steenekamp
18. Francois Klopper
19. Cobus Wiese
20. Mpilo Gumede
21. Embrose Papier
22. Handre Pollard
23. Stedman Gans
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