Bulls to rely on 'B' side for Currie Cup final round

REACTION: Bulls coach Gert Smal delivered some concerning news regarding their top-of-the-table clash against Cheetahs next month.

Both teams have already secured a semifinal spot. However, the Bulls’ win over the Pumas on Friday, coupled with the Cheetahs’ defeat to Griquas on Saturday, has stretched the defending champions’ lead at the top of the standings.

The Bulls have 47 points from their 11 games, while the Cheetahs, who have a game in hand, are on 41 points.

The two teams are scheduled to meet on June 11 in Bloemfontein in what could be a chance for the latter to narrow the points deficit.

Both teams are solid contenders for the Currie Cup title.

However, the Bulls also have the United Rugby Championship play-offs to contend with.

The Bulls host the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld in the URC quarterfinals on June 4 and should they be victorious, they will have to travel to Europe.

It leaves their Currie Cup team with a major selection challenge.

“The URC team will take 28 players and whoever is left has to compete against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein,” Bulls coach Gert Smal told reporters.

“It’s going to be a massive task and we have to prepare as best as we can with what we’ve got.

“But again, it’s an opportunity for the players to test themselves against a good side like that,  especially if they haven’t played in the Currie Cup or URC before.”

He added: “We make our training sessions as intense as possible so it is not a case of not being fit enough.

“The game time will probably be a concern, but I do believe the players are capable of putting in a good performance.”

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#ICYMI: The Bulls cemented their place at the top of the Currie Cup standings with a bonus-point, 31-26, win over a gutsy Pumas team in Pretoria on Friday. #BULvPUM https://t.co/7tOuyAatw7

— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 28, 2022

‘Great character’

Reflecting on their 31-26 win over the Pumas on Friday, Smal said he is happy with the team’s performance which saw them overturn a 14-point deficit at the break.

Trailing 12-26 at half-time, the Bulls scored three unanswered tries in an eventful second half of a match that saw four cards dished out by referee Marius van der Westhuizen – including a first-half red card to Pumas flyhalf Tinus de Beer (for a spear tackle).

“I’m happy with how our team performed,” Smal said, adding: “The Pumas are a team that’s well-drilled with big set pieces.

“Their all-round game is good and you have to close them down in all facets.

“I think it was difficult in the beginning.  We made it too easy for them and we weren’t accurate enough, especially in the first half, to really put them under pressure.

“Nonetheless. the team showed great character.”

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