Fit-again Faletau back for Cardiff at rivals Bulls

Taulupe Faletau returns to the Cardiff matchday squad for the first time since New Year’s Day for Friday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) game against Bulls in Pretoria.

The 35-year-old British and Irish Lions number eight suffered a calf injury while playing for Cardiff against Ospreys on 1 January.

He takes his place on the Cardiff bench along with returning Six Nations forwards Sam Wainwright and James Botham.

Three other members of Steve Tandy’s Wales squad – Liam Belcher, Ben Thomas and Mason Grady – are in an unchanged starting XV from the side that beat Leinster earlier this month at the Arms Park.

Cardiff have pledged to “swing a few shots” when taking on fellow URC play-off hopefuls Bulls at Loftus Versfeld (17:00 GMT).

Faletau’s return will be a welcome boost for Cardiff as they approach the run-in.

The veteran forward has featured in only five URC games this season and missed the 2025 autumn internationals with a knee injury prior to the calf problem that saw him miss the Six Nations.

Cardiff face a Bulls side whose four-game winning streak was ended by Stormers 32-19 in a derby last weekend.

Coach Corniel van Zyl, who went to university in Pretoria, does not expect a repeat display from their hosts.

“The Bulls’ culture is that they back themselves in physical games and to dominate the set piece, while they’ve also got flyers on the outside,” he said.

Cardiff have claimed match points from all 12 rounds so far and stretching that record in South Africa against Bulls and Sharks would boost their play-off hopes.

“We all looking at the log and seeing where we are,” said Van Zyl. “That’s part of the dynamics but we can’t get too carried away.”

Bulls welcome back South Africa number eight Cameron Hanekom, who has been out since tearing a hamstring in the URC semi-finals last May.

The 23-year-old, who won his first Springboks cap against Wales in November 2024, is on the bench.

Bulls: Kriel; Jooste, Moodie, Gans, Arendse; Pollard, Papier; Steenekamp, Grobbelaar, Klopper, Wiese, Nortje, Coetzee (capt), Louw, Carr.

Replacements: van Staden, Wessels, Mchunu, Vermaak, Hanekom, Rudolph, de Wet, le Roux.

Cardiff: Winnett; Grady, Millard, B Thomas, Beetham; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Nott, Lawrence, D Thomas, Basham.

Replacements: D Hughes, Southworth, Wainwright, Thornton, Botham, Faletau, Bevan, I Lloyd.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

Assistants: Griffin Colby & Jonathan Lottering (South Africa)