The Bulls will be hoping that the return of livewire Francois Hougaard to the starting line-up can give the defending Super rugby champions the boost they need as they start their tour of Australasia.
Bulls coach Frans Ludeke included Hougaard, Zane Kirchner and Gary Botha in the run-on team to face the Hurricanes in Napier on Saturday.
Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Gerhard van den Heever and Chiliboy Ralepelle all move to the bench to accommodate the returning trio.
Kirchner has recovered from the shoulder injury that saw him miss the victory over the Lions on Saturday. Hougaard makes a first run-on appearance and Botha swops places with Ralepelle in the middle of the front row.
Danie Rossouw will not travel with the side to New Zealand as he is on paternity leave, but will join the team next week.
The Bulls ended their two-game losing streak last week with a hard-fought victory over the Lions. They will be hoping to carry that momentum into their four-game trip to New Zealand and Australia.
Bulls squad:
Zane Kirchner, Bjorn Basson, Jaco Pretorius, Wynand Olivier, Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Dewald Potgieter, Deon Stegmann, Victor Matfield (captain), Bakkies Botha, Werner Kruger, Gary Botha, Dean Greyling.
Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Roussouw de Klerk, Flip van der Merwe, Derick Kuün, Francois Brummer, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.