Pretoria - Regular captain and flank Deon Stegmann is back in the Blue Bulls team to face the Free State Cheetahs in a Currie Cup clash in Bloemfontein on Friday.
Stegmann missed last weekend's defeat to the Sharks due to suspension, but will again wear the No 6 jersey, as well as the captain's armband in place of Wian Liebenberg and Jono Ross respectively.
Liebenberg moves to the bench in one of six changes to the starting team.
At the back, Ulrich Beyers replaces Jesse Kriel, who moves to the bench.
Stalwart Akona Ndungane is back at right wing, with Sampie Mastriet moving to left wing in place of Bjorn Basson.
In the midfield, JJ Engelbrecht replaces the injured William Small-Smith and Piet van Zyl rotates with Rudy Paige, with the latter starting off the bench.
In the other change in the pack, Bongi Mbonambi will start at hooker, with Callie Visagie on the bench.
Teams:Free State Cheetahs:
TBA
Blue Bulls:
15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Sampie Mastriet, 10 Jacques Louis Potgieter, 9 Piet van Zyl, 8 Jono Ross, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Deon Stegmann (captain), 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Dean Greyling
Substitutes: 16 Callie Visagie, 17 Morne Mellet, 18 Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, 19 Wiaan Liebenberg, 20 Rudy Paige, 21 Tian Schoeman, 22 Jesse Kriel