In an effort to retake the narrative in the Investec Champions Cup, the Vodacom Bulls have selected a strong side for their second round game against last season’s finalists, Northampton Saints as they look for a victory away from home.
The Bulls will be without Handre Pollard, who has to be on a mandatory rest period in agreement with the Springboks, but have nine Springboks in their touring party as they look to bounce back from their loss to champions Bordeaux-Begles last weekend at Loftus Versfeld.
Up front there is no Wilco Louw, but there is his Springbok front row partners Gerhard Steenekamp and Johan Grobbelaar while Bok lock Cobus Wiese is also there.
Ruan Nortje will stay at home while JF van Heerden and Reinhardt Ludwig can cover the other lock position.
Khutha Mchunu and Sti Sithole are also there as front row back up while Akker van der Merwe gives his experience to the squad as well. At loose forward Marcell Coetzee and Elrigh Louw, the latter who continues his comeback from a long term injury, are there and forgotten man Celimpilo Gumede gets his place alongside veteran Nizaam Carr for the trip up north.
Among the backs, new signing Kade Wolhuter and Keagan Johannes will fight it out for the 10 jersey while Willie le Roux is also there.
Zak Burger, Paul de Wet and Embrose Papier are the scrumhalves while Stedman Gans, David Kriel, Harold Vorster and SA under-20 star PA van Niekerk will cover the midfield.
Sergeal Petersen’s name is on the touring sheet with Devon Williams and Stravino Jacobs, with Sebastian de Klerk likely to be in the starting line-up but there still is no sign of Springbok Kurt-Lee Arendse, who returned home from the Boks with concussion three weeks ago.
The Bulls seem to have taken note of the controversy after their last visit to Northampton in 2024 where they were lambasted for touring with a second string squad for the quarterfinal, and the EPCR instituted a “probe” into why they took a weakened team to the knockout phase.
‼️ YOUR TOURING SQUAD IS LOCKED IN! ‼️
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) December 10, 2025
Heading north to face the Northampton Saints in a massive clash this weekend 🐂
🏆 Vodacom Bulls vs Northampton Saints
🗓️ 14 December 2025
⏰ 17:15
📍 Cinch Stadium@Vodacom | @ChampionsCup #TheUnbreakableLine pic.twitter.com/zYR7xjsoju
There is some pressure on the Bulls to ensure they can field a strong squad and put up a good performance, especially after their discipline and defence cost them against Bordeaux, who ran in seven tries in the game, taking the Bulls season tally to 34 tries conceded in just seven game.
Northampton survived an ambush at Pau in France last weekend to record a win and will be pressing at home to follow that up to try and get a better seeding when the playoffs roll around in a few months’ time.
VODACOM BULLS TOURING SQUAD
FORWARDS: Akker van der Merwe; Alulutho Tshakweni; Cobus Wiese; Elrigh Louw; Jean Erasmus; Gerhard Steenekamp; Jaco Grobbelaar; JF van Heerden; JJ Theron; Johann Grobbelaar; Juann Else; Khutha Mchunu; Marcell Coetzee; Mornay Smith; Mpilo Gumede; Nizaam Carr; Reinhardt Ludwig; Sti Sithole.
BACKS: Sergeal Petersen; David Kriel; Devon Williams; Embrose Papier; Harold Vorster; Kade Wolhuter; Keagan Johannes; PA van Niekerk; Paul de Wet; Sebastian de Klerk; Stedman Gans; Stravino Jacobs; Willie le Roux; Zak Burger.