Bulls set to unleash new signings against All Blacks in Pretoria

The Bulls will be able to call on a full-strength squad, apart from their unavailable Springboks, when they face the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, coach Johan Ackermann has confirmed.

Only two other players are ruled out through injury, with hooker Akker van der Merwe and winger Sebastian de Klerk both unavailable for the Pretoria fixture.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ackermann said the Bulls would select as strongly as possible, including established players from last season and those who have recently joined the franchise.

“We’re going to go as strong as we can, barring the Springboks that’s not available and Akker van der Merwe, who’s injured, and Sebastian de Klerk that’s injured.”

“All the other names that are available will play. So, even the new guys that joined us.

“The regulars like Harold Foster and Stedman Gans and those guys will be out there.”

Among the new arrivals in contention is former Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch, who has returned to South Africa after spending the past two years in France with Brive.

Bosch is now preparing to represent the Pretoria-based franchise and said he was pleased to be playing rugby in his home country again.

“It’s amazing to be back in South Africa. The two seasons I spent in France were really good for me, but there’s just no place like home. Even Pretoria, for me, feels like home,” Bosch told reporters.

The flyhalf said leaving the Sharks had been difficult because of the familiarity and security he had found there, but believed the move was necessary for his development.

“I started becoming too comfortable at the Sharks. It was a safe space for me. I knew everyone, I knew the whole of Durban. Sometimes it is hard to leave that comfort, but it was exactly what I needed.

Bosch added that his time in France had helped him regain his freedom and focus after feeling restricted during his final seasons in South Africa.

“It was so good for me mentally, just to get the shackles off and get back to doing what I do best, and that’s just to play rugby. There’s no sideshows, no distractions.

“I felt like I was a lot more free. The last couple of seasons in South Africa, I felt boxed in a little bit.”

Ackermann’s selection update means the Bulls can include Bosch and their other new recruits as they prepare for a high-profile meeting with the All Blacks.

The match at Loftus Versfeld begins at 19:00 on Saturday.