By Brenden Nel.
Vodacom Bulls coach Jake White may well miss his team’s match against the Dragons in Newport on Friday after taking ill on tour.
White didn’t attend the traditional team announcement on Thursday as he wasn’t in the best of health and the team’s media liaison said that White may well “work from the hotel” if he isn’t feeling up to being at the game.
“Jake isn’t joining us today as he is feeling unwell,” the media man said, “Today he is doing a bit better than yesterday and we are all hopeful he will be with the team when they travel to the stadium on Friday.”
White is part of a number of coaching staff and players who have been ill with all the travel the team have done over the festive season.
Earlier Chris Rossouw said last week that the entire team that headed up to face Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup were ill ahead of the Sharks game.
The Bulls have lost three games in a row, and will need the points against a Dragons side just as desperate for a victory on Friday night.
The Bulls have had a nightmare travel schedule, and will cross hemispheres again at the end of next week after returning home for their return fixture against Exeter next weekend before heading to Lyon and then on to Wales for another URC fixture.
Meanwhile Wandisile Simelane makes a welcome return to his favoured outside centre berth as the Vodacom Bugave their starting XV a shake-up ahead of their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match against Dragons.
Simelane, who has only played at fullback and wing for the Bulls since moving across from the Emirates Lions at the end of last season, has always expressed his desire to play in his favoured position, but White’s hope that he could unlock higher honours in a more versatile setting has prevented him from playing there.
That, along with the fact that Lionel Mapoe, Cornal Hendricks and David Kriel all remain more favoured outside centre options for the Bulls has meant he has had to wait his turn to play in the 13 jersey.
Canan Moodie retains his spot on the right wing, as he was cleared to play because his two yellow cards were not serious enough for him to appear before a disciplinary committee while Kriel comes on the right.
Zak Burger returns to the halfback position while Kurt-Lee Arendse is at fullback, with Johan Goosen on the bench.
While no explanation was given for Goosen on the bench, there may well be part of the decision given the Dragons play on an artificial pitch and White has been less than keen to put the Bok flyhalf on the same type of pitch he injured himself on last season.
Gerhard Steenekamp comes back into the starting line-up, swopping with Simphiwe Matanzima, who was given a working over by the Sharks last week.
Bismarck du Plessis returns as bench cover at hooker while Embrose Papier is back in the match-day 23 as well.
Vodacom Bulls: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Wandisile Simelane, Harold Vorster, David Kriel, Chris Smith, Zak Burger; Elrigh Louw, Cyle Brink, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (captain), Ruan Vermaak, Mornay Smith, Johann Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: Simphiwe Matanzima, Bismarck du Plessis, Sebastian Lombard, Janko Swanepoel, Nizaam Carr, Embrose Papier, Johan Goosen, Cornal Hendricks.