Curwin Bosch’s Bulls debut arrives at the deep end. The 29-year-old flyhalf starts at No. 10 against the All Blacks on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld, in the first fixture the Vodacom Bulls have ever played against New Zealand.
Kick-off is 19:00 at Loftus Versfeld, with Nika Amashukeli of Georgia refereeing. The match forms part of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour, which has already seen the All Blacks beat the DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks before turning to Pretoria.
Curwin Bosch lines up alongside three other Springboks in Johan Ackermann’s run-on side. Willie le Roux starts at fullback, Embrose Papier at scrumhalf, and Marcell Coetzee captains the team from openside flank. Thaakir Abrahams, signed alongside Curwin Bosch from Munster, also makes his Bulls bow on the left wing. Hanro Liebenberg returns to Loftus after a stint at Leicester Tigers, completing the loose trio.
Bulls starting XV:
- 15 Willie le Roux
- 14 Thaakir Abrahams
- 13 Stedman Gans
- 12 Harold Vortster
- 11 Stravino Jacobs
- 10 Curwin Bosch
- 9 Embrose Papier
- 8 Jeandre Rudolph
- 7 Hanro Liebenberg
- 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain)
- 5 JF van Heerden
- 4 Ruan Vermaak
- 3 Francois Klopper
- 2 Juann Else
- 1 Alu Tshakweni
Replacements:
- 16 Jaundre Schoeman
- 17 Sti Sithole
- 18 Khuta Mchunu
- 19 Reinhardt Ludwig
- 20 Mpilo Gumede
- 21 Paul de Wet
- 22 Katlego Letebele
- 23 Hakeem Kunene
Bosch’s route to this Bulls debut has taken the scenic path. He spent 2016 to 2023 at the Sharks before two seasons at Brive in France’s Pro D2, a spell he credits with resetting both his game and his head. He joined the Bulls on a three-year deal, arriving at Loftus in July.
Curwin Bosch, Vodacom Bulls flyhalf:
“I just want to be the best version of myself on the rugby field.”
The occasion carries extra weight because Curwin Bosch has never faced the All Blacks before, and neither have the Bulls as a professional franchise. He’s called it a rare shot to test himself against the best in the world, in front of his own supporters, in only his first game back on South African soil.
Curwin Bosch, Vodacom Bulls flyhalf:
“It’s an amazing opportunity and I am really excited for this weekend.”
There’s a Bok subplot running underneath all of it. Curwin Bosch won two Springbok caps almost a decade ago — off the bench against Argentina in 2017, then starting at fullback in the one-off Test against Wales in Washington in 2018 — and hasn’t added to that tally since. He isn’t pretending the door is closed.
Curwin Bosch, Vodacom Bulls flyhalf:
“My best will be good enough to make this squad.”
“Bosch didn’t ask for an easy re-entry, and the Bulls didn’t give him one — first game back, and it’s the All Blacks!” – 🎙️Jay
For Ackermann, throwing his headline signing straight into a Bulls debut of this magnitude is a statement in itself. Curwin Bosch’s tactical kicking and goal-kicking were the reasons the Bulls went after him, and Saturday is the first live test of whether two years in France sharpened those tools against the toughest opposition available.
📸 Images via Vodacom Bulls
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Header: BULLS vs ALL BLACKS
Subhead: “Opportunity of a lifetime.”
