By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Suresh Rajcoomar /Fullview.
The Vodacom Bulls will have everything to play for with a home quarter-final at stake in their match against Benetton at Loftus Versfeld, and even a possible top two finish if the DHL Stormers and Leinster slip up and they register a bonus-point victory.
Bulls – nine log positions above their visitors and having scored an impressive 521 points to 308 by Benetton, while they also boast a better defensive record – will be determined to finish the pool stages with an impressive six wins in a row and build the momentum and confidence they need going into the playoffs.
After making an impact off the bench in last week’s win over Zebre Parma, Handre Pollard is restored to the No 10 jersey with Willie le Roux shifting to fullback.
Ruan Nortjé returns to the second row after missing the emphatic 54-19 victory, partnering Cobus Wiese and reclaiming the captaincy.
Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar are promoted from the bench to start alongside Wilco Louw in the front row.
In the loose trio, Elrigh Louw returns at blindside flank, joining Jeandré Rudolph and Cameron Hanekom.
The halfback pairing of Embrose Papier and Pollard reunites, while the midfield combination of Harold Vorster and Canan Moodie remains unchanged.
There is one enforced change in the back three after Kurt-Lee Arendse failed a late fitness test. Devon Williams comes into the starting side on the right wing, with Sergeal Petersen shifting to the left.
The Bulls have also named a powerful bench featuring Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ruan Vermaak and Stedman Gans.
Squad – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Devon Williams, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Sergeal Petersen, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Jeandré Rudolph, 5 Ruan Nortjé (c), 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 Marco van Staden, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Mpilo Gumede, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Stravino Jacobs.
Meanwhile on Friday night, the second-placed DHL Stormers – currently on 59 points, one behind log-leaders the Glasgow Warriors – will line up against the seventh-placed Cardiff in the Welsh capital, where the Capetonians have never won.
The fifth-placed Fidelity Securedrive Lions (53 points) cross paths with the sixth-placed Munster in Ireland in matches that will be decisive in their final log positions going into the quarter-finals.
In the other match, the 10th-placed Hollywoodbets Sharks will meet the last-placed Zebre Parma in their closing match of the competition, after both sides dropped out of the playoff race earlier in the preceding rounds.
Elsewhere the 2026 SA Cup reaches another crescendo this weekend as Suzuki Griquas, the Airlink Pumas, Toyota Cheetahs and Sanlam Boland Kavaliers battle it out for places in next weekend’s final.