Lizo Gqoboka to make his first start for the Bulls

The Bulls take on the Highlanders at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, and coach John Mitchell said it was a like-for-like replacement in more ways than one.

Schoeman has been banned for six weeks for what Mitchell described as “circumstantial evidence of foul play and not biting” and Gqoboka now gets his chance to show why he has been invited to Springbok training sessions before.

“It’s never nice losing a team-mate like that but Lizo definitely has great potential and what he does between now and June will determine whether he is considered for the Springboks or not. Technically, he’s got things to learn to be better and there are also skill-set things for him to learn, but he is a very explosive athlete.

“He’s a similar player to Pierre and that applies to personality as well; they’re both lively characters and important in the team dynamic. It’s an opportunity for Lizo to cement his place. There’s time for him to create some healthy competition in that position,” Mitchell said after announcing his team in Pretoria on Thursday.

The former All Blacks coach said he was confident people coming to Loftus Versfeld on Saturday would enjoy a much better spectacle than last weekend’s game against the negative Melbourne Rebels.

“It was a bore-fest last weekend but I think it will be totally different on Saturday; it’s going to be all over the place. The Highlanders are the masters of chaos and they’re not reliant on structure. They have an exceptional backline that can break you and a very hard-working pack. They just don’t go away.

“I love their spirit, the way the Highlanders play the game, and it’s going to be a far greater contest for us in terms of pressure. We have to expect the unexpected as well. We will be challenged in a different way. Full marks to Sanzaar because they are seriously considering our complaint from last weekend and will take it up with the Rebels and Australian rugby,” Mitchell said.

Jason Jenkins returns to the starting line-up at blindside flank in the only other change to the Bulls’ starting XV, replacing the injured Roelof Smit.

Bulls team: Warrick Gelant, Divan Rossouw, Jesse Kriel, Burger Odendaal, Johnny Kotze, Handre Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Thembelani Bholi, Jason Jenkins, Marco van Staden, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss, Lizo Gqoboka. Replacements – Jaco Visagie, Frans van Wyk, Conraad van Vuuren, Hendre Stassen, Nic de Jager, Embrose Papier, Manie Libbok, Travis Ismaiel.