Bulls give vote of confidence to semifinal comeback kings for final

The Vodacom Bulls have placed their faith in the same match day 23 that rose like Lazarus to defeat Glasgow Warriors for their Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final rematch against Leinster on Friday night.

With all players fit and accounted for, coach Johan Ackermann has placed his faith in the same side that beat Glasgow for their mammoth task against Leinster at Croke Park in Dublin.

The Bulls will start as massive underdogs for the game as Leinster look to repeat their win last season at the same venue.

But this is a Bulls side with more experience and a lot more optimism, coming into the game on the back of momentum of eight straight wins.

For the record there are 11 Springboks in the starting XV, but again Francois Klopper has been given the vote of confidence at tighthead ahead of Springbok Wilco Louw.

YOUR team to face Leinster in the VURC Grand Final 🐂

🏟️ Croke Park | 19 JUNE | 20:30
📺 SuperSport 211 @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA pic.twitter.com/pW9H50WaJT — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 17, 2026

The rest of the front row is Johan Grobbelaar and Gerhard Steenekamp, both Boks in their own right, with Ruan Vermaak and Bok workhorse Ruan Nortje behind them, backed by a back row of captain Marcell Coetzee, Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hanekom. 

Embrose Papier has a chance to cement his exceptional season with Handre Pollard as his halfback partner while Harold Vorster and Canan Moodie are the midfield, with Willie le Roux the rock at the back with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Stravino Jacobs on the wings.

The bench has hallmarks of a bomb squad, with Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Louw and Cobus Wiese all Boks to make an impact, while Stravino Jacobs showed in his cameo what his worth is, and Nizaam Carr completes a 6-2 bench.

Vodacom Bulls: Willie le Roux; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Harold Vorster, Stravino Jacobs; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee (Captain), Ruan Nortje, Ruan Vermaak, Francois Klopper, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. 

Replacements:  Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Wilco Louw, Cobus Wiese, Jeandre Rudolph, Zak Burger, Stedman Gans, Nizaam Carr.