Ludeke found remedy for Bulls' ills
It may have been a close shave, but Blue Bulls coach Frans Ludeke believes their nervous 30-25 victory over the Eastern Province Kings in Pretoria at the weekend was the perfect remedy to their woes.
The Light Blues turned in an unconvincing performance as they came up against a tenacious Kings side that nearly tasted a rare victory at Loftus Versfeld.
Ludeke admitted that the result could easily have favoured the visitors but it was a victory they would take nevertheless.
"This is a crucial win for us, we had to work hard," the Bulls mentor said in his post-match media briefing.
"I thought the way the team just stuck together was great and at one stage we could have easily have lost this game," Ludeke added.
"We've got respect for the EP Kings for the way they play, so this is a great win, we got five points out of it.
"It wasn't pretty at stages, but it was affective and we scored tries which is vital."
After two devastating defeats in the opening rounds, the four-try bonus-point victory would bring some relief to the under pressure giants of South Africa's premier domestic competition.
The Bulls made dismal start to their Currie Cup campaign – conceding 81 points in the matches against the Golden Lions and Western Province away from home.
Ludeke said the victory would go a long way in building positive momentum and get their campaign on the right track.
"It can only get better from here, we took a lot of confidence from the win," he said.
"The way we got out of that grip almost, that was the vital thing that can hopefully keep us winning."
While the Bulls were made to work hard for the victory, Ludeke said they needed to savour the moment before addressing their shortcomings on Monday.
"At this stage it is more important to celebrate the win because that is what we need as a team and that is the way you are going to keep winning," he said.
Ludeke's selection of a new-look backline and reshuffle of the front row also paid some dividends.
"Jesse Kriel [fullback] was exceptional from broken field, William Small-Smith [outside centre] defended that channel well and he asked questions with the ball in hand," Ludeke said.
"Rudi Paige [scrumhalf] and Bongi Mbonambi [hooker] made a huge impact, they put pace into our game.
"The longer the game went on Tony Jantjies saddled in and he is a threat to the line."
The Bulls will have a completely different challenge next weekend in Pretoria when they face the log-leading Western Province that beat them 41-17 in Cape Town only a week ago.
SAPA
