Are the Bulls unleashing the new Duane this weekend?

As the waiting game for Duane Vermeulen to return to Loftus commences – something that will only happen from 1 July – Bulls coach Pote Human has decided to test the waters and groom his potential long-term successor.

Muller Uys will make his Super Rugby debut against the Highlanders on Saturday and it’s difficult not to draw comparisons.

The 21-year-old eighthman, a star for Junior Springboks previously, is a 1.92m, 112kg behemoth whose enthusiasm and physicality could spark a Bulls forward effort that disappeared against the Jaguares last week.

Uys was a star at junior level. (Photo by Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images)

Yet Human’s excitement about unleashing the former Paarl Gim pupil stems from the fact that Uys already has far more strings to his bow than merely power with ball-in-hand and in the collisions.

“I believe he’s a very intelligent player,” the Bulls mentor said at Loftus on Wednesday.

“Muller has the ability to run very good lines and angles. He’s invariably in the positions on the field where he needs to be and is undeniably a good defender. He’s also immensely physical, a guy who can give you momentum. That’s not so say Jeandre Rudolph (the man Uys replaces) didn’t do the same last week, but he deserves his chance.”

Indeed, anyone who heard Human’s pre-season talk would’ve known Uys was prominently in the selection mix from the outset, only for a nasty gash on the forehead during a warm-up match to scupper his chances of being involved earlier in what has been a challenging start to 2020.

“I said previously that it was going to be difficult to keep him out. He’s raring to go and I’m really excited to see how he performs.”

Uys’ inclusion is part of a broader theme, with Human making a concerted effort to inject youthful energy into the side.

There’s no better example of that than the experienced lock duo of Juandre Kruger and Andries Ferreira both being dropped for Ruan Nortje and Ian Groenewald respectively.

Bulls: Warrick Gelant, Cornal Hendricks, Nafi Tuitavake, Johnny Kotze, Rosko Specman, Manie Libbok, Embrose Papier, Muller Uys, Josh Strauss, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje, Ian Groenewald, Trevor Nyakane (c), Jaco Visagie, Lizo Gqoboka. Bench: Corniel Els, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wiehahn Herbst, Ryno Pieterse, Ruan Steenkamp, Ivan van Zyl, Morne Steyn, Divan Rossouw.