Junior Boks Manie Libbok and Embrose Papier will start as the Bulls’ halfback pairing in Saturday’s Super Rugby warm up against the Sharks in Polokwane.

Springboks Lood de Jager, Jesse Kriel, Handré Pollard and Warrick Gelant have all been given an extra week’s rest and were not considered for selection.

Coach John Mitchell has named a youthful but experienced side for the match, headlined by the selection of Libbok at flyhalf and Papier at scrumhalf.

There will also be a return to action for ex-Springbok captain Adriaan Strauss, who will start at hooker.

The Bulls have also named a 28-man squad to face the Lions in a pre-season match at Ellis Park on Saturday.

No 8 Boom Prinsloo will captain the side, which includes the likes of fullback Ulrich Beyers, centre Dries Swanepoel, flyhalf Tony Jantjies and hooker Edgar Marutlulle.

Bulls (to face Sharks) – 15 Divan Rossouw, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Burger Odendaal (c), 11 Jade Stighling, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Aston Fortuin, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Subs: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Pierre Schoeman, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Eli Snyman, 20 Jano Venter, 21 Roelof Smit, 22 Andre Warner, 23 Marnitz Boshoff, 24 Franco Naude, 25 Jamba Ulengo, 26 Duncan Matthews.

Bulls (to face Lions) –  15 Ulrich Beyers, 14 Irvin Ali, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Heino Bezuidenhout, 11 Andell Loubser, 10 Tony Jantjies, 9 Ginter Smuts, 8 Boom Prinsloo (c), 7 Rickert Korff, 6 Shaun Adendorff, 5 Abongile Nonkontwana, 4 Ewan Coetzee, 2 Matthys Basson, 2 Edgar Marutlulle, 1 Dewald Maritz.
Subs: 16 Nqoba Mxoli, 17 John-Roy Jenkinson, 18 Simphiwe Matanzima, 19 Thomas Meyer, 20 Pieter Diergaardt, 21 Adre Smit, 22 Oderich Mouton, 23 Vaughen Isaacs, 23 Lian du Toit, 24 Garrick Matthews, 25 Jerome Bossr, 26 Christiaan Strydom, 27 Earll Douwrie, 28 Gareth Heidtmann.

Photo: Johan Rynners/Gallo Images