Pretoria - The Blue Bulls have named seven of their eight returning Springboks in the team to face the Lions in a Currie Cup clash in Pretoria on Saturday.
Bok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle would return to the starting XV, the Bulls announced on Wednesday, with Gary Botha moving to the bench and relinquishing the captaincy to Dewald Potgieter.
The side would also welcome the return of fullback Zane Kirchner, wing Bjorn Basson, lock Flip van der Merwe, and props Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling.
Returning fetcher flanker Deon Stegmann was set to start from the bench.
These players were part of a group of 23 Springboks released this week to play in the domestic competition.
The only Bok player who would not feature in the match, the Bulls said, was centre Wynand Olivier who was nursing a shoulder injury.
Bulls coach Pine Pienaar also made a tactical shift with centre Francois Venter replacing Stephan Dippenaar.
Pienaar said Venter would play at inside centre with Stefan Watermeyer moving to the outside centre position.
Teams
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Stefan Watermeyer, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 CJ Stander, 7 Dewald Potgieter (captain), 6 Derick Kuun, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Fudge Mabeta, 19 Deon Stegmann, 20 Lohan Jacobs, 21 Marntiz Boshoff, 22 Stephan Dippenaar
Golden Lions: 15 Michael Killian, 14 Deon van Rensburg, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Alwyn
Hollenbach, 11 Lionel Mapoe, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Michael Bondesio, 8
Joshua Strauss (capt.), 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Franco
van der Merwe, 4 Wikus van Heerden, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Bandise Maku,
1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Martin Bezuidenhout, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Michael Rhodes, 19 Warren Whiteley, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Burton Francs, 22 Jaco Taute