Taulupe Faletau is set for yet another return from injury when he comes off the bench for Cardiff Rugby against the Bulls in Pretoria on Friday (20 March – 5.00pm)
The 35-year-old is back in the matchday squad for the first time since New Year’s Day, when he suffered a calf injury against the Ospreys. He will make only his fifth URC appearance of the season and his 29th overall in four injury ravaged seasons at the Arms Park.
The starting XV is unchanged to the side that brought Leinster’s 11-match winning run to an end earlier this month at the Arms Park. Wales Six Nations squad members Liam Belcher, Ben Thomas, Mason Grady, Sam Wainwright and James Botham are all involved.
Victory at Loftus Versfeld would lift Cardiff from fifth to second in the BKT United Rugby Championship table ahead of Ulster’s Irish derby clash with Connacht. The Bulls were beaten by the Stormers 32-19 last weekend as their four Match winning streak came to an end.
“We will have to fight and swing a few shots because I expect the very best of the Bulls, who will be shattered at the way they played last week. I can’t envision the same again,” admitted \Cardiff’s South African coach Corniel van Zyl
“The Bulls culture is that they will always back themselves in physical games and try to dominate the set piece. They also have also got flyers on the outside.
“The table looks good at the moment, but a lot can change in this competition. We are just focusing on one game at a time and taking what we can from each opportunity.”
The home side can boast 12 players who have been named by Rassie Erasmus in his Springboks’ alignment squad for the summer Tests. They will also have international No 8 Cameron Hanekom back in harness for the first time since he tore his hamstring in the URC semi-finals last May.
Cardiff are the only Welsh region currently in a top eight position and have claimed match points from all 12 rounds of the tournament thus. How they far in South Africa against the Bulls this week and the Sharks next will be critical in determining where they end up.
The two sides have met on four occasions in the URC with the Bulls winning them all of them. Cardiff’s only win outside Wales since May 2024 was over Zebre in Parma in November 2025.
TEAMS
Bulls: David Kriel; Cheswill Jooste, Canan Moodie, Stedman Gans, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Gerhard Steenekamp, Johann Grobbelaar, Francois Klopper, Cobus Wiese, Ruan Nortje, Marcell Coetzee (captain), Elrigh Louw, Nizaam Carr
Reps: Marc van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Khuthu Mchunu, Ruan Vermaak, Cameron Hanekom, Jeandre Rudolph, Paul de Wet, Willie le Roux.Cardiff Rugby: Cam Winnett; Mason Grady, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Jacob Beetham; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Rhys Barratt, Liam Belcher (captain), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, George Nott, Alun Lawrence, Dan Thomas, Taine Basham
Reps: Dafydd Hughes, Danny Southworth, Sam Wainwright, Rory Thornton, James Botham, Taulupe Faletau, Ellis Bevan, Ioan LloydReferee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)