Hougaard out for Kimberly trip
Livewire Hougaard will miss Saturday's dual due to personal commitments. His sister is getting married and he was given permission to miss the game.
Ivan van Zyl will start at scrumhalf in his run-on debut for the Blue Bulls.
In better news for the Bulls the return of Springbok Arno Botha at No.8 will offset the loss of the injured Hanro Liebenberg, who will be out for at least a month.
Botha has just returned from injury and will be part of a new loose trio that will also feature regular captain, Pieter Labuschagne and new starter Jannes Kirsten, who debuted for the team last weekend from the bench. Kirsten replaces the injured Roelof Smit in the last of three changes to the starting team from last weekend.
With Smit, Deon Stegmann and Liebenberg all out injured, the recent signing of former Saracens and University of Stellenbosch flank Nick de Jager is bearing fruit, with the player being included on the bench for a possible Currie Cup debut for the log leading Blue Bulls.
Blue Bulls coach Nollis Marais also added Corniel Els and Andre Warner to the bench. Warner comes in for Van Zyl who is starting and Els will take over from Jaco Visagie, who is unavailable due to a personal bereavement.
"Our hands are forced a bit with the injuries amongst our loose forwards, but it is great to have Arno back in action. He is keen to make a statement and I am expecting a big match from him," Marais said.
"Griquas showed us how physical they can be when we played them a couple of weeks back, so to have a big and abrasive player like Arno back, comes at just the right time," Marais added.
The Bulls mentor is also backing Van Zyl in his starting role.
"Any team will miss Hougie, but Ivan has all the attributes I am looking for from a team perspective. He is quick, understands space and knows how we want to play," according to Marais.
Labuschagne urged his team mates not to ignore the need to improve every week.
"We are playing a very dangerous team who has beaten us in Kimberley before, so they will have the belief that they can do it again," said the Bulls skipper.
"That said, we are also a squad that approach every game with the necessary respect to the opponents and determination to do our own efforts and the support of our fans justice. We are building momentum nicely, but must be careful not to fall in a hole in Kimberley."
Blue Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Dries Swanepoel, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Jamba Ulengo, 10 Tian Schoeman, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Pieter Labuschagne (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jacques du Plessis, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Bandise Maku, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Corniel Els, 17 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 18 Rudolph Snyman, 19 Nick de Jager, 20 André Warner, 21 Louis Fouché, 22 Dan Kriel.
Date: Saturday August 29
Venue: Kimberly Park, Kimberly
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT)
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees: Lourens van der Merwe, Jaco Kotze
TMO: JJ Wagner
