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Bulls name 11 Boks in starting XV to face Glasgow Warriors


Johan Grobbelaar of the Bulls scores a try and celebrate with teammates during the United Rugby Championship match between Vodacom Bulls and Benetton at Loftus Versfeld on May 16, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
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The Bulls have named 11 Springboks in their starting XV for Saturday’s URC semi-final against Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield, with a further five internationals on the bench.

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Marcell Coetzee captains the side on his 100th Bulls appearance. Hooker Johan Grobbelaar brings up his 150th cap.

The front row of Gerhard Steenekamp, Grobbelaar and Francois Klopper packs down behind locks Ruan Vermaak and Ruan Nortje. Coetzee is joined in the back row by Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom.

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Embrose Papier starts at scrum-half outside Handré Pollard. The midfield pairing is Harold Vorster and Canan Moodie, with Stravino Jacobs and Kurt-Lee Arendse on the wings and Willie le Roux at full-back.

The bench includes Marco van Staden, Wilco Louw and curiously, back-row Nizaam Carr named in the 23 jersey.

Head coach Johan Ackermann said: “It’s a great privilege to be in the Vodacom URC semifinal. After a long season there are only four clubs left, and we are grateful to be one of those and to play the number one side. It shows the quality of their players and we have a lot of respect for what they’ve achieved. Added to that is the opportunity to play at an iconic venue like Murrayfield.

“It will be an amazing day. It’s a good challenge and one we look forward to, a game of small margins, I suspect.”

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Glasgow enter as top seeds and are playing a third successive URC semi-final, with a strong home record in knockout matches. The Bulls have won two of eight previous trips to Scotland but beat Glasgow at Scotstoun earlier this season. The head-to-head between the sides stands at 4-3 in Glasgow’s favour.

The Bulls are unbeaten in URC semi-finals with a record of three from three.

Bulls XV:
1. Gerhard Steenekamp
2. Johan Grobbelaar
3. Francois Klopper
4. Ruan Vermaak
5. Ruan Nortje
6. Marcell Coetzee (c)
7. Elrigh Louw
8. Cameron Hanekom
9. Embrose Papier
10. Handré Pollard
11. Stravino Jacobs
12. Harold Vorster
13. Canan Moodie
14. Kurt-Lee Arendse
15. Willie le Roux

Replacements:
16. Marco van Staden
17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels
18. Wilco Louw
19. Cobus Wiese
20. Jeandre Rudolph
21. Zak Burger
22. Stedman Gans
23. Nizaam Carr

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H
Hammer Head 1 hr ago

Jake White would only be happy if all 23 of them were springboks.

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