Blue Bulls Rugby coach Pine Pienaar has selected the same Blue Bulls starting team that lost to the Sharks for their match against the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup on Saturday.

The Blue Bulls dropped a disappointing result to the Natal Sharks last week, but Pienaar kept faith with the side for their first home game of the season.

Pienaar has included fit-again Ruan Snyman and Frik Kirsten on the bench, with both players having Currie Cup and Super Rugby experience to add and replace Lohan Jacobs and Juan Schoeman.

Pienaar said everybody realise that they will have to play much better than in last weekend’s defeat to the Sharks.

“It was a poor start and we all know that. The Free State will require a great effort and we will have no choice but to respond. No one can afford losing at home in this competition.”

Blue Bulls captain Gary Botha, said the players will have to show their worth.

“We will have to show what we can do. It was totally unacceptable what happened against the Sharks. ”

“We owe it to ourselves, the fans and the coaching staff to do much better.”

Blue Bulls team:

15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Stephan Dippenaar, 12 Stefan Watermeyer, 11 Akona Ndungane, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Dustin Jinka, 8 Gerrit-Jan van Velze, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Derick Kuun, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Fudge Mabeta, 3 Rossouw de Klerk, 2 Gary Botha (C), 1 Corne Fourie.

Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Okkie Kruger, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Ruan Snyman, 21 Marnitz Boshoff, 22 Francois Venter.