Pretoria - The Bulls were hit by a late blow ahead of their Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Chiefs on Saturday when Springbok flank Dewald Potgieter was forced to withdraw through injury.

Potgieter had been nursing an ankle strain and was on crutches on Monday, but was walking without the aid of them by Tuesday and it was hoped that he would recover in time for the game.

On Thursday he was named in the starting line-up by coach Frans Ludeke, who made just one change to the team that lost to the Force last weekend with the proviso that he passed a fitness test at the captain’s practice on Friday night.

Bulls High Performance Manager Ian Schwartz said after the captain’s practice that Potgieter had failed his fitness test, and therefore was withdrawn.

Another Springbok, Danie Rossouw, comes into the back row in Potgieter’s place, with Akona Ndungane moving onto the bench, which now shows a four-three traditional split between forwards and backs rather than the five-two bench named on Thursday.

Another Springbok, utility back Francois Hougaard, passed his fitness test and will take his place on the wing in Saturday’s clash.

Teams:

Bulls:
15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Dean Greyling

Substitutes: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Rossouw de Klerk, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Derick Kuün, 20 Francois Brummer, 21 Gerhard van den Heever, 22 Akona Ndungane

Chiefs:
15 Mils Muliaina (captain), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Dwayne Sweeney, 11 Save Tokula, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Scott Waldrom, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Toby Smith

Substitutes: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Sona Taumalolo, 18 Isaac Ross, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Tim Nanai-Williams, 22 Jackson Willison