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Bulls coach Human set to press Nyakane into starting service against the Stormers

Trevor Nyakane and Lizo Gqoboka will be keen to help the Vodacom Bulls overcome the Stormers in Cape Town.
Trevor Nyakane and Lizo Gqoboka will be keen to help the Vodacom Bulls overcome the Stormers in Cape Town.
Image: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

In anticipation of a fierce set-piece battle‚ Bulls coach Pote Human will press versatile Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane into starting service for Saturday’s North/South Super Rugby derby against the Stormers at Newlands.

Nyakane is the only change from the Bulls’ starting 15 from last week’s 23-15 loss to the Sharks at Kings Park.

He’ll be starting with Lizo Gqoboka.

Wiehahn Herbst moves to the bench as the Stormers have picked Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff as the starting props for the Stormers.

The Bok pecking order isn’t a matter of discussion so early in the season‚ but the four starting props on both sides will seek to mark their national team starting territories.

By virtue of Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira’s retirement‚ Kitshoff is now the Bok number one loosehead prop‚ but things are less clear at tighthead.

Nyakane had moved himself seriously up the pecking order just before the Rugby World Cup.

Had he not injured his ankle in the opening game loss to New Zealand‚ things would have become very interesting from a competition perspective.

That said‚ Malherbe‚ who’ll be playing his 100th Super Rugby match for the Stormers‚ will have a lot to prove and so will Gqoboka.

The Bulls loose-head impressed then Springbok coach and current director of rugby Rassie Erasmus.

There’s not a lot of clarity from a replacement perspective at loose-head‚ so Gqoboka has a massive opportunity to impress.

Prop Gerhard Steenekamp is a new face on the bench and will make his debut when he comes on as Human has reverted to a five/three bench split instead of the six/two employed for the Sharks game.

Teams:

Stormers:

15 Dillyn Leyds‚ 14 Sergeal Petersen‚ 13 Ruhan Nel‚ 12 Jamie Roberts‚ 11 Seabelo Senatla‚ 10 Damian Willemse‚ 9 Herschel Jantjies‚ 8 Johan du Toit‚ 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ 6 Jaco Coetzee‚ 5 Chris van Zyl‚ 4 Salmaan Moerat‚ 3 Frans Malherbe‚ 2 Scarra Ntubeni‚ 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain)

Replacements:

16 Chad Solomon‚ 17 Ali Vermaak‚ 18 Wilco Louw‚ 19 Cobus Wiese‚ 20 Ersnt van Rhyn‚ 21 Juarno Augustus‚ 22 Godlen Masimla‚ 23 Jean-Luc du Plessis

Bulls:

15. Warrick Gelant‚ 14. Cornal Hendricks‚ 13. Johnny Kotze‚ 12. Burger Odendaal(C)‚ 11. Rosko Specman‚ 10. Morné Steyn‚ 9. Ivan van Zyl‚ 8. Josh Strauss‚ 7. Abongile Nonkontwana‚ 6. Jeandré Rudolph‚ 5. Juandré Kruger‚ 4. Andries Ferreira‚ 3. Trevor Nyakane‚ 2. Jaco Visagie‚ 1. Lizo Gqoboka.

Replacements:

16. Johan Grobbelaar‚ 17. Gerhard Steenekamp‚ 18. Wiehahn Herbst‚ 19. Ruan Nortje‚ 20. Wian Vosloo‚ 21. Embrose Papier‚ 22. Manie Libbok‚ 23. Divan Rossouw.