Bulls: No panic stations yet
It is not panic stations yet, but some drastic selection changes were required to bring about a positive change in the Blue Bulls' Currie Cup fortunes.
While coach Frans Ludeke is not in the habit of publicly criticising individual players, it does not require a rocket scientist to realise the form of certain senior players have not been up to scratch and that may well have had a bigger influence on team selection than the coach would admit.
No doubt at some stage he needed to give the many talented young players in the set-up a run and the defeats in the first two rounds most likely prompted the selection of players like fullback Jesse Kriel and centre William Small-Smith – ahead of Jurgen Visser and JJ Engelbrecht respectively.
While flyhalf Tony Jantjies comes in for the injured Jacques-Louis Potgieter, his halfback partner, scrumhalf Rudy Paige, replaces another out-of-form member of the squad in Piet van Zyl.
Some combinations did not bring about the required results and now is as good a time as any for trying out alternative options.
Ludeke, speaking to rugby365 ahead of their Currie Cup Round Three encounter with the Eastern Province Kings in Pretoria on Saturday, admitted it was "important" to make some changes, to "bring a new energy".
"Players like Jesse Kriel, William Small-Smith, Tony Jantjies and Rudy Paige have been waiting for their chances," the Bulls coach said.
"They bring a different energy to the team, which we'll need this weekend [against the Kings]."
Ludeke said some of the changes were planned in advance, while injuries also played a role and they also need to use the squad system.
"However, we also need players that, when given the chance, will use the opportunity to bring renewed energy and an urgency to the team," he told rugby365.
The Bulls mentor admitted he was not happy with the results of the last two weeks and felt that their game management must improve.
"It is important that we get our campaign on track and get into the competition," he said, adding: "We want to stay in the [play-off] race and that is why it is important for us to win this weekend."
While the performance of the team as a unit is one of the biggest disappointments for management, the other major frustration is that when they get into positions and create the opportunities, they are just not clinical enough to turn those into points.
"Some of the decision-making, the options we take, can also improve," he said.
"We've had a good week and we feel the changes will help us to turn our campaign around."
By Jan de Koning
