Blitzbok named in Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 team to square off against the Free State

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Blitzbok JC Pretorius has been selected to start at flank for the Vodacom Blue Bulls U21 against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs U21 at Shimla Park in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 29 June 2019.

 

The former HTS Middleburg scholar captained the Vodacom Blue Bulls U19 in 2018 and made his Blitzbok debut at the Sydney leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in February. He has since earned 27 caps and scored 11 tries for the South African national sevens team.

 

Pretorius saw game time off the bench last week against the DHL Western Province U21 and head coach, Nollis Marais, opted to hand him his first start of their 2019 SA Rugby U21 Championship campaign.

Marais made several other changes to the matchday squad as Cameron Hufke and Gershwin Mouton will start at wing in the place of Jay-Cee Nel and Damian Bonaparte.

Ewart Potgieter and Kabelo Mokoena will warm the bench in the spots left vacant by Pretorius and Mouton.

Kick-off is 13:00 and the public are encouraged to support the team in what will undoubtedly be a bruising affair in Bloemfontein.

Vodacom Blue Bulls U21: 15. Andrew Kota, 14. Gershwin Mouton, 13. Diego Appollis, 12. Wian van Niekerk, 11. Cameron Hufke, 10. Fiela Boshoff, 9. Lian du Toit, 8. Muller Uys, 7. Hanru Sirgel, 6. JC Pretorius, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. Ryno Pieterse, 3. Mornay Smith, 2. Werner Fourie, 1. Dewald Maritz.

Replacements: 16. Wiehan Bezuidenhout, 17. Joe van Zyl, 18. Carl Els, 19. Ewart Potgieter, 20. Johan Mulder, 21. Lionel April, 22. Kabelo Mokoena, 23. Cabous Eloff.