URC team news, fixtures: SA teams include Rugby Champs winning Boks

The United Rugby Championship enters round three this week, with the Sharks and Stormers playing overseas, while the Bulls and Lions are on home soil.

Here is all the team news ahead of this weekend’s game and all the fixtures.

Hendrikse, Tshituka brothers in action for Sharks

Two sets of brothers will run out for the Sharks in Saturday’s second United Rugby Championship game on the road when they meet the Dragons in Newport, Wales (6.15pm).

Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse will join his brother Jordan, the fullback, in the Sharks starting team, while Vincent and Emmanuel Tshituka will be members of the loose-trio.

The Sharks are coming off a 30-36 defeat by Connacht and will be desperate to hit back this weekend against a team they have never lost to in three previous meetings.

The change at scrumhalf is the only switch made by coach John Plumtree to his starting team, though Phepsi Buthelezi and Francois Venter return on the bench.

Sharks team: Jordan Hendrikse, Eduan Keyter, Jurenzo Julius, Andre Esterhuizen, Ethan Hooker, Siya Masuku, Jaden Hendrikse, Emmanuel Tshituka, Vincent Tshituka (capt), James Venter, Gerbrandt Grobler, Jason Jenkins, Ruan Dreyer, Dylan Richardson, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Bench: Fez Mbatha, Trevor Nyakane, Hanro Jacobs, Corne Rahl, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Lionel Cronje, Francois Venter

Van der Merwe back for Lions

The Lions, winners first up last weekend against Ulster, have named three recent Springboks in their starting team for Saturday’s match against Edinburgh at Ellis Park.

Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe and Quan Horn are all in the starting team. The match will be the first for wing Van der Merwe since his scintillating Springbok debut against Wales in June, after recovering from an ankle injury. Sadly another recent Bok, Ruan Venter, misses out due to a shoulder injury.

Sanele Nohamba and Henco van Wyk, who both have Bok ambitions, will play off the bench.

Lions team: Quan Horn, Rabz Maxwane, Erich Cronje, Rynhardt Jonker, Edwill van der Merwe, Kade Wolhuter, Morne van den Berg, Francke Horn (capt), Jarod Cairns, JC Pretorius, Darrien Landsberg, Reinhardt Nothnagel, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, PJ Botha, Juan Schoeman. Bench: Franco Marais, Heiko Pohlman, Conraad van Vuuren, Ruben Schoeman, Renzo du Plessis, Sanele Nohamba, Marius Louw, Henco van Wyk

Bulls’ Boks back

Bulls boss Jake White has wasted no time in recalling all his Springbok players following the conclusion of the Rugby Championship last week for the Pretoria team’s URC clash with Ulster on Saturday.

Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruan Nortje, Marco van Staden, Elrigh Louw, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux are all in the starting team this weekend, while Jan-Hendrik Wessels will play off the bench.

In other key selections, Wilco Louw is at tighthead prop, Cameron Hanekom runs out at No 8 and Boeta Chamberlain will play flyhalf. David Kriel has also been returned to the inside centre position.

The Bulls beat Edinburgh last weekend and will hope to make it two in a row this Saturday.

Bulls: Willie le Roux, Sebastian de Klerk, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Boeta Chamberlain, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje (capt), Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench: Akker van der Merwe, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Francois Klopper, Sintu Manjezi, Celimpilo Gumede, Keagan Johannes, Stedman Gans, Aphiwe Dyantyi

Dixon in for Stormers

Springbok loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon has been picked to start for the Stormers in their match against Italian side Zebre Parma on Saturday.

Also, prop Sazi Sandi, scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage and fullback Warrick Gelant are all set to make their first appearances of the season from a bench that also features loose forward Louw Nel, who will make his Stormers debut when he takes the field.

Damian Willemse will again play at fullback, with Jurie Matthee the flyhalf.

The Stormers lost their opening round game, against Ospreys 37-24.

Stormers: Damian Willemse, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ruhan Nel, Dan du Plessis (capt), Leolin Zas, Jurie Matthee, Paul de Wet, Keke Morabe, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marcel Theunissen, Ruben van Heerden, JD Schickerling, Neethling Fouche, Joseph Dweba, Sti Sithole. Bench: Andre-Hugo Venter, Brok Harris, Sazi Sandi, Adre Smith, Louw Nel, Dewaldt Duvenage, Warrick Gelant, Angelo Davids

All the fixtures:

Friday: Cardiff Rugby v Glasgow Warriors (8.35pm), Scarlets v Connacht (8.35pm)

Saturday: Lions v Edinburgh (1.45pm), Bulls v Ulster (4pm), Dragons v Sharks (6.15pm), Benetton v Leinster (6.15pm), Zebre v Stormers (8.35pm), Munster v Ospreys (8.35pm)

More team news to follow ...