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Pretoria - The Bulls have resisted the temptation of picking highly rated flyhalf Handré Pollard in their senior Curie Cup side.
Pollard, 19, make a first start for the Blue Bulls Under-21 team for Friday's crucial Absa Under-21 Provincial Championship match against Free State.
Pollard has just recovered from a shoulder injury and will replace Kobus Marais, who drops back to the Under-19 side.
Coach Nollis Marais made only one more change, where Justin Forwood comes onto the bench in place of Du Toit Genis at prop.
The Bulls are just one point behind log leaders, the Sharks Under-21s, and have the same number of log points as the Cheetahs, who also won three out of four matches so far this season.
"We have good momentum and I hope we can sustain that against an opponent of real quality," Marais said.
"The team adapted well after losing four players to the Currie Cup side and some to injury and I am looking forward to a more settled effort on Friday. Handré is a quality player and I am sure he will make a telling contribution," Marais said.
Bulls Under-21 team to play Free State:
15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jermaine Kleinsmith, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudi van Rooyen, 8 Clyde Davids, 7 Nardus van der Walt, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Jaco Visagie (captain), 1 Andrew Beerwinkel
Substitutes: 16 Jason Thomas, 17 Justin Forwood, 18 Irne Herbst, 19 Roelof Smit, 20 Kefentse Mahlo, 21 Malcolm Theo, 22 Christopher Bosch
Pollard, 19, make a first start for the Blue Bulls Under-21 team for Friday's crucial Absa Under-21 Provincial Championship match against Free State.
Pollard has just recovered from a shoulder injury and will replace Kobus Marais, who drops back to the Under-19 side.
Coach Nollis Marais made only one more change, where Justin Forwood comes onto the bench in place of Du Toit Genis at prop.
The Bulls are just one point behind log leaders, the Sharks Under-21s, and have the same number of log points as the Cheetahs, who also won three out of four matches so far this season.
"We have good momentum and I hope we can sustain that against an opponent of real quality," Marais said.
"The team adapted well after losing four players to the Currie Cup side and some to injury and I am looking forward to a more settled effort on Friday. Handré is a quality player and I am sure he will make a telling contribution," Marais said.
Bulls Under-21 team to play Free State:
15 Jesse Kriel, 14 Jade Stighling, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jermaine Kleinsmith, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Rudi van Rooyen, 8 Clyde Davids, 7 Nardus van der Walt, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Dennis Visser, 4 Jannes Kirsten, 3 Hencus van Wyk, 2 Jaco Visagie (captain), 1 Andrew Beerwinkel
Substitutes: 16 Jason Thomas, 17 Justin Forwood, 18 Irne Herbst, 19 Roelof Smit, 20 Kefentse Mahlo, 21 Malcolm Theo, 22 Christopher Bosch
