The Bulls have included some heavy artillery for Western Province's Waterloo at Loftus on Friday by announcing a side containing six capped Springboks for the Currie Cup battle between the two great north-south rivals of South African rugby.
The Bulls' Boks are nicely spread among the starting XV with Akona Ndungane back on the wing, outside the midfield duo of Wynand Olivier and Wayne Julies.
In the back row they have two Springboks in captain and Saracens-bound Wikus van Heerden, at blindside flank, and Pedrie Wannenburg, at No 8. In the front row Gurthro Steenkamp rounds off the Bok complement. A seventh Springbok, fit-again Chiliboy Ralepelle, has not made the 22-man squad for the game.
For all the heavy metal in the Bulls side and the bleating at Newlands about losing up to 20 players to Springbok call-ups and injury this season, Province are not a band of greenhorn rookies. They have four Springboks of their own, Tonderai Chavhanga, Gcobani Bobo, Bolla Conradie and AJ Venter, available for selection and a fifth international, Fijian wing Sireli Naqelevuki, who has belatedly arrived back in the country with head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Coach Allister Coetzee will no doubt be praying that the Fijian has diligently kept himself in shape.
The latest casualty to drop in battle this week was prop Brok Harris, compounding WP's already frail scrum that simply hasn't recovered ever since JD Moller was 'mortally wounded' during the Super 14 and ruled out for the rest of the season.
Joe Pietersen, hastily switched from the wing and recreated as a flyhalf, will again have a key role to play at Loftus in only his second game in the No 10 jersey.
The Bulls have welcomed Derick Kuun back from a hamstring injury, joining Ndungane as one of only two changes from their last game, against Griquas, with Ndungane replacing Rocco Jansen on the wing.
Blue Bulls: Tiger Mangweni; Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Wayne Julies, John Mametsa; Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Pedrie Wannenburg, Wikus van Heerden (capt), Deon Stegmann, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Juandré Kruger, Rayno Gerber, Derick Kuün, Gurthrö Steenkamp. Replacements: Bandise Maku, Werner Kruger, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques Burger, Heini Adams, Burton Francis, Marius Delport.