The Vodacom Bulls will charge into Saturday’s United Rugby Championhip (URC) clash against Leinster at Loftus Versfeld missing two of their sharpest weapons, forced to reshuffle their backline after losing Jan Serfontein and Cheswill Jooste to injury.
Serfontein, the Springbok midfield general, has been sidelined with a shoulder knock, while flyer Jooste has pulled up with a hamstring strain, both casualties from the Bulls’ wild 53–40 opening-round win over the Ospreys.
CAPPY 🤝
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🐂Vodacom Bulls vs Leinster | 4 October | 18:30 | LOFTUS@Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #TheUnbreakableLine pic.twitter.com/RPZ3XuWkZ0
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) October 2, 2025
The baton now passes to seasoned campaigner Harold Vorster at inside centre, with Sebastian de Klerk shifting out wide and Stravino Jacobs taking guard on the left wing.
In the engine room, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, who stepped up admirably after Cobus Wiese’s HIA, locks down the No 4 jersey again, while Sintu Manjezi slots onto the bench.
But for coach Johan Ackermann, the bigger battle lies in matching a Leinster side stung by last week’s 35–0 drubbing at the hands of the Stormers. He expects them to come out breathing fire.
“Credit to the Stormers, they played well, but that was probably a Leinster performance we won’t see again,” Ackermann warned.
“They’ll want to rectify it and we expect a lot more pressure.”
The Bulls mentor knows his herd cannot afford to start as loose as they did in Swansea.
“It wasn’t good to concede that many points against Ospreys,” Ackermann admitted.
“Some tries were soft and Leinster will punish us if we repeat that. We can’t afford to start slowly and play how we did last week.”
And he has no illusions about the defensive stranglehold Jacques Nienaber’s Leinster side usually applies.
“Jacques Nienaber’s defensive setup seldom gives a team as many opportunities as they did against the Stormers,” Ackermann said.
“That’s why we aren’t taking anything from that loss and focusing on improving ourselves.”
YOUR team to face Leinster on Saturday 🐂
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🐂Vodacom Bulls vs Leinster | 4 October | 18:30 | LOFTUS@Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #TheUnbreakableLine pic.twitter.com/95WaHHmKKb
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) October 2, 2025
Bulls squad vs Leinster:
15 Devon Williams, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 David Kriel, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 JJ Theron, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 JF van Heerden, 4 N Janse van Rensburg, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 Juann Else, 17 Alulutho Tshakweni, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Zak Burger, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Willie le Roux.
