Bulls unleash their big guns

Every fit Bulls Springbok will have seen some action after tomorrow afternoon’s encounter against the Jaguares in Pretoria after coach John Mitchell yesterday named an expanded 37-man squad for the Super Rugby warm-up game.

Having seen the bulk of his players in action against the Sharks, Lions and Stormers in recent weeks, Mitchell is easing the big guns back into action this weekend, a fortnight before their Super Rugby opener against the Hurricanes at Loftus Versfeld.

Lock Lood de Jager will captain the team against the Jaguares, with prop Trevor Nyakane and flyhalf Francois Brummer also in the starting line-up, but fullback Warrick Gelant, centre Jesse Kriel and flyhalf Handre Pollard will all come off the bench for their first competitive runs this year.

“We need to give everyone a proper run and I think this will be a good test. The approach to this game will pretty much be about ourselves and what we want to achieve, but one has to acknowledge that the Jaquares will be a very good test. They have some very good players that will test our guys individually, and also some pretty impressive set-pieces and plays,” Mitchell said yesterday.

“Our squad is a balanced one, with lots of players offering a variety of skills. The important thing will be to mould those into the team dynamics, and we wanted something that will put our structures and processes to a good test, for it to be tested under pressure. This will be the perfect test.”

With such a big squad though, it is debatable how much time Mitchell will be able to give his Springbok stars, while lock Jason Jenkins, who has returned from Japanese club duties, will also be eager to get a bit of game time off the bench.

One player who Mitchell has committed to giving good game time too – and this applies through the year – is Nyakane, even though the former All Blacks coach believes he can be switched between both sides of the scrum.