Bulls holding out hope
Although they lost at home to the Sharks, the Blue Bulls still have a chance of sneaking into the Currie Cup semifinals.
The Pretoria side went down 18-16 on Friday, with a late penalty from Butch James snatching a late victory for the visitors who secured a home semifinal in the process.
The Bulls had to be content with a bonus point which gives them a slim chance of making the semifinals. They will need a big bonus-point win over the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein next week, and even that may not be enough depending on the outcome of the clash between the Golden Lions and Griquas.
Bulls coach Pine Pienaar said that the equation is simple for his team who need to secure a full house of five log points in Bloemfontein and hope for the best.
"We have to go there and put up a fight and see what happens, we are still in reach, so if it means that we have to beat them by 40 points that is the challenge," he said.
"We put ourselves in the position that we are in, so we have to make sure next week we get our focus up and we are still in with a shot. It may be a long shot but we are still in with a shot," added the Bulls coach.
Pienaar once again rued his side's missed opportunities and was left frustrated with his charges as they struggled particularly at the lineouts and the breakdowns against the Sharks.
"We are still in touch but it is disappointing, two-and-a-half minutes left and you are ahead and you lose the game by a silly decision at the breakdown," Pienaar said.
"I thought we really played well at stages and from where we started in the beginning of the season up to where we are now, this side has made huge strides," he added.
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