Outside centre Jerome Pretorius will make a first start for the Blue Bulls in their Vodacom Cup quarter-final clash against the Sharks XV at Mr Price Kings Park in Durban on Saturday afternoon.

The 23 year old Pretorius, who played for Natal at u.13, u.16, u.18, u.19, u.21 and Vodacom Cup level, made great strides since joining UP-Tuks this year and was outstanding in that side’s march towards a first Varsity Cup title.

Based on those performances, Vodacom Blue Bulls coach Pine Pienaar, had little hesitation including Pretorius on his bench after the completion of the Varsity Cup and he continued to impress with his contributions in the last couple of weeks.

An injury to regular fullback, Jurgen Visser, gives Pretorius his run-on break, with incumbent Ulrich Beyers moving into the number fifteen jersey.

In another move Gerrit-Jan van Velze will play at number eight in a re-jigged loose trio from the side that smashed the Griffons following an injury to Jean Cook.

Franco Mostert will replace Van Velze at lock.

Wiaan Liebenberg and Tony Jantjies, who has been selected for the South African u.20 side to compete in the IRB Junior World Cup tournament next month, moves onto the bench in place of Mostert and Pretorius.

The Blue Bulls, who finished third in the North Section with four wins, one draw and one defeat, have been superb in Vodacom Cup playoffs, reaching the final every year since 2006.

In the history of the competition, the Vodacom Blue Bulls have won the title three times, finished runners up six times, lost in the semi-finals once and lost in the quarter-finals once.

The team to play the Sharks XV at 14:00 is: Ulrich Beyers, Sampie Mastriet, Jerome Pretorius, Jan Serfontein, Courtnall Skosan, Wesley Dunlop, Ruan Snyman, Gerrit-Jan van Velze ©, Jono Ross, Warwick Tecklenburg, Cornell Hess, Franco Mostert, Rayno Gerber, Robbie Coetzee, Morné Mellett. Replacements: Zane Botha, Basil Short, Daniel Adongo, Wiaan Liebenberg, Lohan Jacobs, Willie du Plessis, Tony Jantjies.