16 Springboks in Bulls’ match-day squad to face Glasgow in URC semifinal

Bulls coach Johan Ackermann has named 11 Springboks in his starting XV for the United Rugby Championship (URC) semifinal against Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield on Saturday.

With a further five Boks on the bench, the Bulls mentor opted for experience, physicality and composure as they look to maintain their perfect record at this stage of the competition.

Captain Marcell Coetzee will earn his 100th Bulls cap and 77th as skipper, while hooker Johan Grobbelaar is set to run out for his 150th match in blue, further cementing his status as one of the franchise’s most durable performers.

These landmarks add emotional weight to a side already built on cohesion and experience, particularly in the tight five, where Gerhard Steenekamp, Grobbelaar and Francois Klopper anchor a physically imposing front row.

The team selection reinforces the Bulls’ traditional strengths: forward dominance, tactical control and attacking flair out wide.

The loose trio of Coetzee, Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom provides a blend of breakdown authority, ball-carrying dynamism and defensive work rate.

The lock pairing of Ruan Vermaak and Ruan Nortje ensures lineout security and physical presence.

At halfback, Embrose Papier and Handré Pollard will control tempo and territory, with Pollard’s experience and game management central to navigating what is expected to be a high-pressure contest.

Out wide, the Bulls boast genuine strike power with Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse, while Willie le Roux offers tactical intelligence and distribution from the back.

The bench maintains that intensity, with the likes of Marco van Staden, Wilco Louw and Nizaam Carr providing impact and versatility in what is likely to be a match decided in the closing stages.

Ackermann acknowledged both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity it presents.

“It’s a great privilege to be in the URC semifinal. After a long season there are only four clubs left, and we are grateful to be one of those and to play the number one side,” he said.

“It shows the quality of their players and we have a lot of respect for what they’ve achieved. Added to that is the opportunity to play at an iconic venue like Murrayfield,” Ackermann said.

“It will be an amazing day. It’s a good challenge and one we look forward to, a game of small margins, I suspect.”

Ackermann’s emphasis on fine margins reflects the profile of recent meetings between the sides, with tight contests and tactical nuance defining the rivalry.

The task facing the visitors is substantial. Glasgow are appearing in their third successive URC semifinal, underlining their consistency at the sharp end of the competition. They have historically been strong at home in knockout fixtures, with only two semifinal defeats on Scottish soil.

However, the Bulls will draw confidence from their recent win at Scotstoun in 2025, the most recent URC home defeat suffered by the Warriors.

It will be an amazing day. It’s a good challenge and one we look forward to, a game of small margins, I suspect

—  Bulls coach Johan Ackermann

Despite that result, the broader record offers a warning. The Bulls have visited Scotland eight times and won just twice, highlighting the difficulty of touring in these conditions.

Head-to-head, Glasgow also hold a narrow 4-3 advantage, adding another layer to what has become a finely balanced rivalry.

If history is against them in Scotland, it is firmly in their favour at this stage of the competition.

The Bulls have reached three VURC semifinals and have never been beaten, including landmark victories over Leinster (2022 and 2024) and the Sharks last season. That record will fuel belief that they can rise to the occasion once again.

Saturday’s clash is a meeting of form and pedigree: Glasgow, the top-seeded side with strong home credentials, against a Bulls outfit that has consistently delivered when it matters most in knockout rugby.

Bulls team: Willie le Roux, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs, Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee (capt), Ruan Nortje, Ruan Vermaak, Francois Klopper, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp

Substitutes: Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph, Zak Burger, Stedman Gans, Nizaam Carr

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