Bulls need to redeem themselves in Bloem

Although the Vodacom Bulls can boast with a great record against the Bloemfontein franchise (15 wins in 17 games), the Free Staters showed they will be a tough nut to crack this year in their encounter with the Emirates Lions, who managed to snatch a narrow win over them last weekend.

 However, the Toyota Cheetahs received a blow with the news that wing Sergeal Petersen will be out for between four and six weeks with a knee injury, which he suffered in last Saturday’s 28-25 home loss to the Emirates Lions.

ALSO READ: Bulls change two for Cheetahs game

(Videos by Brenden Nel)

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the high-riding DHL Stormers will welcome the Jaguares to DHL Newlands for their 17h15 clash. Robbie Fleck, coach of the men from Cape Town, has included Senatla on the bench for this match. In 2014 and 2015, the sevens superstar played in six Vodacom Super Rugby matches.

The Capetonians will no doubt be buoyed by their good performance last weekend when they defeated the Vodacom Bulls at the same venue, scoring five tries in the process. It was the most five-pointers ever scored by the DHL Stormers against the men from Pretoria. 

Springbok flank Siya Kolisi led his side to a 37-24 triumph in their first outing match of the season, with the Cape side delivering a polished performance characterised by good handling skills and solid scrummaging. They did however suffered a setback with the ankle injury to Springbok centre Damian de Allende, who has been ruled out of action for 12 weeks.

Last year, the Cape outfit won a low-scoring 13-8 affair when they faced the Jaguares in Round 5 in Buenos Aires, and this time the visitors from Argentina will be hoping their current good form continues. They beat the Southern Kings last weekend in Port Elizabeth and have won three of their last four matches. An interesting dual to watch in this match should be the battle for dominance in the scrums.

ALSO READ: Notshe, Kriel start for Stormers

 The Cell C Sharks remain on the road and after going down to the Reds in Brisbane last week, the Durbanites will visit Canberra on Saturday (10h45, SA time) to face the Brumbies - a venue where Robert du Preez's men have only won twice (1998 and 2012) in 10 visits. 

 This match will be followed by the clash between the Sunwolves - with former Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs loose forward Willie Britz in their team - and the Southern Kings in Singapore (12h55), where both teams will be looking for their first win of the season.

 Following the Singapore fixture, it will be the Emirates Lions up against the Waratahs in a 15h05 start at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg. 

 The home side, last year's beaten finalists, will be hoping to rediscover their sparkling form at home of last season, where they won six on the trot, registering a staggering 38 tries in the process, which includes 10 in their two playoff matches.

 ROUND 2 MATCHES (SA times)

 Brumbies v Cell C Sharks

 Brumbies: 15 Aidan Toua, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 James Dargaville, 10 Wharenui Hawera, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Jordan Smiler, 7 Chris Alcock, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Sam Carter (captain), 4 Rory Arnold, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Josh Mann-Rea, 1 Nic Mayhew. Replacements: 16 Robbie Abel, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Leslie Leulua'iali'i-Makin, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Lolo Fakaosilea, 21 De Wet Roos, 22 Andrew Smith, 23 Isaac Thompson.

 Cell C Sharks: 15 Clement Poitrenaud, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Patrick Lambie (captain), 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Tera Mtembu (vice-captain), 7 Jean-Luc du Preez, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Franco Marais, 1 Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Lourens Adriaanse, 19 Jean Droste, 20 Jacques Vermeulen, 21 Michael Claassens, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Curwin Bosch.

 Match information:

Date: Saturday, 4 March 

SA Time: 10h45

Venue: GIO Stadium, Canberra 

Referee: Angus Gardner

Assistant referees: Jordan Way, Ed Martin

Television match official: George Ayoub

 Sunwolves v Southern Kings 

 Sunwolves: 15 Shota Emi, 14 Takaaki Nakazuru, 13 Timothy Lafaele, 12 Derek Carpenter, 11 Kenki Fukuoka, 10 Hayden Cripps, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Willie Britz, 7 Shokei Kin, 6 Ed Quirk, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 Liaki Moli, 3 Heiichiro Ito, 2 Shota Horie (captain), 1 Masataka Mikami. Replacements: 16 Takeshi Hino, 17 Koki Yamamoto, 18 Takuma Asahara, 19 Kotaro Yatabe, 20 Shuhei Matsuhashi, 21 Keisuke Uchida, 22 Will Tupou, 23 Jamie-Jerry Taulagi.

 Southern Kings: 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Berton Klaasen, 12 Waylon Murray, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Ruaan Lerm, 7 Stefan Willemse, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Mzwanele Zito, 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Schalk Ferreira (captain). Replacements: 16 Kurt Haupt, 17 Schalk van der Merwe, 18 Justin Forwood, 19 Thembelani Bholi, 20 Chris Cloete, 21 Rudi van Rooyen, 22 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 23 Luzuko Vulindlu.

 Match information:

Date: Saturday, 4 March 

SA Time: 12h55

Venue: National Stadium, Singapore 

Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen

Assistant referees: Egon Seconds, Akihisa Aso

Television match official: Minoru Fuji

 Emirates Lions v Waratahs 

 Emirates Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Lionel Mapoe, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Warren Whiteley (captain), 7 Ruan Ackermann, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Jacques van Rooyen. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Sylvian Mahuza, 23 Jaco van der Walt.

 Waratahs: 15 Andrew Kellaway 14 Reece Robinson, 13 Israel Folau, 12 Irae Simone, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bryce Hegarty, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Michael Hooper (captain), 6 Jack Dempsey, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Tom Robertson. Replacements: 16 Hugh Roach, 17 Paddy Ryan, 18 David Lolohea, 19 David McDuling, 20 Senio Toleafoa, 21 Matt Lucas, 22 David Horwitz, 23 Taqele Naiyaravoro.

 Match information:

Date: Saturday, 4 March 

SA Time: 15h05

Venue: Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg

Referee: Jaco van Heerden

Assistant referees: Quinton Immelman, Stuart Berry

Television match official: Johan Greeff

 DHL Stormers v Jaguares 

 DHL Stormers: 15 SP Marais, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Siya Kolisi (captain), 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth (vice-captain), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg. Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Robert du Preez, 23 Seabelo Senatla.

 Jaguares: TBA

 Match information:

Date: Saturday, 4 March 

SA Time: 17h15

Venue: DHL Newlands, Cape Town

Referee: Jaco Peyper

Assistant referees: Rasta Rasivhenge, Cwengile Jadezweni

Television match official: Shaun Veldsman

 Toyota Cheetahs v Vodacom Bulls 

 Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Ryno Benjamin, 13 Nico Lee, 12 Clinton Swart, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Fred Zeilinga, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Paul Schoeman, 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Uzair Cassiem, 5 Reniel Hugo, 4 Justin Basson, 3 Johan Coetzee, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld (captain), 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Elandre Huggett, 17 Charles Marais, 18 Danie Mienie, 19 Francois Uys, 20 Niell Jordaan, 21 Zee Mkhabela, 22 Niel Marais, 23 Ruan van Rensburg

 Vodacom Bulls: 15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Burger Odendaal, 12 Dries Swanepoel, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Handré Pollard (captain), 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Nick de Jager, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Jaco Visagie, 1 Lizo Gqoboka. Replacements: 16 Edgar Marutlulle, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Jacobie Adriaanse, 19 Renaldo Bothma, 20 Ruan Steenkamp, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Warrick Gelant.

 Match information:

Date: Saturday, 4 March 

SA Time: 19h30 

Venue: Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein

Referee: Shuhei Kubo

Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs, Lourens van der Merwe

Television match official: Marius Jonker

 Other fixtures (SA kick-off times):

 Saturday, 4 March:

06h15: Hurricanes v Rebels (Wellington)

08h35: Highlanders v Crusaders (Dunedin)

 Bye: None