White mixes up squad for final URC pool match against Dragons
Ruan Nortje will continue to lead the side from No 7 flank, while Willie le Roux remains in the No 15 jersey.
Akker van der Merwe will wear the Bulls No 2 jersey against Dragons. Picture: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
Bulls boss Jake White has made a number of changes to his side for their final round robin United Rugby Championship match against bottom-of-the-table Dragons at Loftus on Saturday.
The Bulls are currently in second place on the URC points table with 63 and cannot catch first-placed Leinster who have 72. However, should Glasgow Warriors (59) shock Leinster at home in their final match, they could go past the Bulls.
It seems unlikely though that the Bulls will come unstuck against a Dragons team which has won just once in 17 matches all season.
For this reason, White has opted to rest some of his key players ahead of a home quarter-final in two weekends' time.
For this match, Akker van der Merwe, Mornay Smith, Nama Xaba, Keagan Johannes and Sergeal Petersen come into the starting XV, while Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel and Canan Moodie all change positions.
There are also a few changes on the bench, with Simphiwe Matanzima, Francois Klopper and Bernard van der Linde returning to the squad after missing out last week.
The Bulls go into the game on the back of a 45-21 win against Cardiff, while Dragons lost 12-48 to the Stormers.
Bulls: Willie le Roux, Sebastian de Klerk, Canan Moodie, David Kriel, Sergeal Petersen, Keagan Johannes, Zak Burger, Cameron Hanekom, Ruan Nortje (capt), Nama Xaba, JF van Heerden, Cobus Wiese, Mornay Smith, Akker van der Merwe, Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Bench: Johan Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima, Francois Klopper, Jannes Kirsten, Marcell Coetzee, Bernard van der Linde, Stedman Gans, Devon Williams
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