Moodie, Willie back for Bulls’ URC match against Connacht

Springbok outside backs Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux slot straight back into the Bulls’ starting team following the Boks’ end-of-year-tour to the UK, as they take on Connacht in their United Rugby Championship (URC) match at the Sportsground in Galway on Saturday (kick-off 7:30pm).

Moodie and Le Roux both played for the Boks in their opening tour game against Scotland, but then did not make the match 23 for the matches against England or Wales, so they will be relatively fresh and ready to fire.

Experienced loose forward Marcell Coetzee will lead the side, while Johan Goosen makes his return from injury to boost the teams prospects from flyhalf.

A cluster of Boks, in hooker Johan Grobbelaar, prop Gerhard Steenekamp and loose forward Cameron Hanekom, who all featured against Wales, will make their appearance off the bench during the match.

Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White admitted that they were happy to have Goosen back in the mix, while praising the Bok players returning to the fold, explaining that they were all eager to play.

Goosen back

“Goosen hasn’t been involved in the opening rounds of the league, and to be fair, we have done really well without him, but training-wise, we have been training differently with him running at 10,” said White.

“All our Springboks want to play and that is nice to have. They also come from a really good tour with the national side.

“They had a really good year as the Springboks, surrounded by players who have been nominated as the best in the world so that also influences how they arrive back with us and to have them keen to play for the club is nice to see.”

The month long international break gave the Bulls some time to address certain things they couldn’t during a shortened off season, that also saw the Currie Cup being competed, which impacted their build up to the URC season.

“We didn’t have a long pre season because we got to the (URC) final. Our pre season was a little bit shorter than most, and then some of our guys went to the Currie Cup. So this was a good chance for us to do some of the things we weren’t able to do in the regular off season,” explained White.

“Some guys had time off, some guys had fitness and strength tests. It was an individual thing where most people got what they needed. Whether it was refreshing themselves, or getting stronger or fitter.

“We also were able to give guys in the larger squad who will be with us for the next few weeks some good training and they are now settled in.”

Bulls XV

Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Harold Vorster, Sebastian de Klerk, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Celimphilo Gumede, Cobus Wiese, Marcell Coetzee (c), JF van Heerden, Ruan Vermaak, Francois Klopper, Akker van der Merwe, Alulutho Tshakweni. Bench: Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Mornay Smith, Jannes Kirsten, Cameron Hanekom, Keagan Johannes, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Stedman Gans