Bulls spin it in the middle
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William Small-Smith spoke to Darryn Pollock about Frans Ludeke's midfield policy as the coach attempts to juggle a Bok and a Baby Bok star.
Small-Smith was a huge youth acquisition for the Bulls after his successful 2012 Junior World Cup campaign where he played alongside Springbok centre Jan Serfontein.
The School boy star made his breakthrough with the Bulls this year, earning seven caps in the Super Rugby campaign after a serious knee injury almost ended his career before it started.
The inexperienced 22-year-old was always expected to play second fiddle to another Springbok centre in the Bull's ranks – JJ Engelbrecht – during Super Rugby, but many expected this year's Currie Cup to be his launch pad.
However, it has been a stop-start season for the former Grey College student as he continues to compete with Engelbrecht in the centres.
"It has not been a perfect Currie Cup season for me personally, but it is what I was expecting," Small-Smith told rugby365
"Prior to the Currie Cup I went to coach Frans [Ludeke] and I asked him what his plans were with both me an JJ [Engelbrecht].
"He told me that we would rotate on a full rotation system, so JJ would play two games then I would play two games – he stuck to his world 100 percent."
This system of rotation has many pundits split as to its effectiveness, but for Small-Smith, who is on the receiving end, he feels that it one that works in his instance.
"Knowing that you might be out of the mix one weekend and then knowing you will be back next weekend, it just gives you something to work for," he added.
"In comparison, if the coach just leaves you totally out of the mix then you do not know where you are going and you might not have direction.
"Coach Frans is managing the whole situation well, JJ is my friend but there is still a healthy competition between us.
"Obviously you want to play every single game, and that is my goal."
Even with a strict rotation policy in place, Small-Smith still maintains that he has to keep mentally switched on incase something out of the ordinary crops up.
"Last weekend, I woke up on Friday morning and was told I was starting because JJ is sick – If I had taken it easy in the week leading up, thinking I was not going to play, I would be very under-cooked," Small-Smith said of his unexpected call up to the starting team against the Kings.
"A week is such a long time for a rugby player, so for me it is about being better than I was yesterday, so if I play I can give it my all.
"It is the coaches opinion who he wants to play or rotate so I just try to make it as hard as possible not to select me."
Darryn Pollock
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