PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA - JANUARY 10: Wilco Louw of the Blue Bulls during the Investec Champions Cup match between Vodacom Bulls and Bristol Bears at Loftus Versfeld on January 10, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)
Springbok tighthead prop Wilco Louw is back in the starting team for the Bulls for their United Rugby Championship match against Scarlets in Llanelli on Saturday night (8.45pm).
Louw has been sidelined with an injury in recent weeks.
The Pretoria-based team also welcome back Kurt-Lee Arendse this week while the exciting Cheswill Jooste gets a run on the wing and David Kriel plays at fullback.
Unfortunately, Canan Moodie is out with an injury.
In total, the Bulls have 10 Springboks in their starting XV, with a further four on the bench.
Race for the top eight
The Bulls go into the round 16 match on the back of a 47-7 win against the Dragons last week.
Scarlets are coming off a 24-28 loss to Cardiff at home.
Johan Ackermann’s Bulls will be desperate to pick up another win on their mini tour as they find themselves in eighth place on the points table with 45 points, with Connacht just behind them in ninth, with 44.
Only the top eight teams will feature in the quarter-finals. There are just two rounds remaining after this weekend’s matches.
The Bulls’ last two games are at home against Italian sides, Zebre and Benetton.
Bulls: David Kriel, Cheswill Jooste, Stedman Gans, Harold Vorster, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Marcell Coetzee (capt), Ruan Nortje, Ruan Vermaak, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp. Bench: Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Francois Kloppers, Cobus Wiese, Mpilo Gumede, Paul de Wet, Willie le Roux, Jeandre Rudolph
