It's 50-up for Serfontein

The midfielder, who made a strong return to Super Rugby last weekend with a brace of tries against the Sunwolves, will move to inside centre for this match after starting in the no 13 jersey last weekend. He will combine with Jesse Kriel in this first tour match in New Zealand.

Serfontein scored two tries for the Vodacom Bulls in their last appearance against the Blues in New Zealand and along with Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard, Adriaan Strauss and Trevor Nyakane are the only players in the team who also started in their last match against the Blues in 2015.

Nyakane was at loosehead, that day and Kriel played fullback.

Kriel's inclusion is the only change to the starting backline from the Sunwolves clash, but amongst the forwards, coachNollis Marais included regular captain, Adriaan Strauss, who will not only take the number two jersey from Edgar Marutllule, but also the captaincy from Pollard.

The coach also swopped around Lizo Gqoboko and Pierre Schoeman as per rotation policy and included Nick de Jager on flank in place of suspended Renaldo Bothma.

The bench will see five changes..

Jaco Visagie (for Strauss, with Marutlulle dropping out), Schoeman (Gqoboka), Rudy Paige (for Ivan van Zyl) and Odendaal (Kriel) are all new to the weekend's bench.

A potential debutant for the Vodacom Bulls is John-Roy Jenkinson, who takes over from Jacobie Adriaanse. It could be afirst Super Rugby appearance for the former Junior Springboks prop, who earned more than 40 provincial caps for the Leopards while completing his studies at NWU-Pukke.

The team is (with number of Super caps and points): Warrick Gelant (7, 5), Travis Ismaiel (20, 30), Jesse Kriel (34, 10), Jan Serfontein (49, 75), Jamba Ulengo (13, 30), Handre Pollard (28, 263), Piet van Zyl (72, 65), Hanro Liebenberg (11,15), Nick de Jager (7, 5), Ruan Steenkamp (3, 0), Lood de Jager (42, 5), Jason Jenkins (16, 15), Trevor Nyakane (73, 15), Adriaan Strauss (c, 133, 70), Lizo Gqoboko (11, 0). Replacements:Jaco Visagie (10, 0), Pierre Schoeman (12, 5), RG Snyman (15, 10), Jannes Kirsten (16, 10), Rudy Paige (36, 0), Tian Schoeman 25 (80), Burger Odendaal (21, 10), John-Roy Jenkinson (0, 0)

Notes:

•Adriaan Strauss will extend his South African record for appearances as a hooker in the Vodacom Super Rugby competition to 134.

•John-Roy Jenkinson could make his Vodacom Bulls and Super Rugby debut if he takes to the field.

•The Vodacom Bulls have only beaten the Blues at home on one occasion, in 2013, and lost 10 times. In fact, that win was the last time the visitors won in New Zealand, out of the last ten played in that country.