Marais adopts new Bulls game plan
The Blue Bulls of the past have always been known for a boring brand of rugby dominated by forward play, however new coach Nollis Marais has a different idea.
Marais has replaced Frans Ludeke who stepped down as Bulls coach after a poor Super Rugby season. Ludeke's tactics were old fashioned and he failed to develop with the times.
Although successful in the past – and there is no denying the Bulls are a decorated outfit – the kicking oriented game plan with bullying forwards is outdated and the game has developed where that no longer wins matches.
Marais has given an indication that he is going to change the classic Bulls approach to the game, and a move away from their perceived conservative game plan could be on the cards with a major assault on the Currie Cup trophy.
"If you look, over the years, the Bulls have been very successful in the Currie Cup and it is a competition that is close to my heart," he said.
"It is about getting the pride back in playing for the Currie Cup again and our main focus is to play for the Currie Cup and all our emphasis is on the competition."
Loftus Versfeld has been his playground since a child and taking the reins of the Blue Bulls is a dream come true for the newly appointed Marais.
The 43-year-old however, knows fully well coaching one of the top South African rugby sides in the world’s oldest provincial competition will be anything but child’s play.
"Our teams did not do well [in Super Rugby], everybody wants a trophy and this is the one they can still win this year and there will be huge drive from the South African teams to win the Currie Cup," Marais said.
Marais has already left an indelible mark on rugby in Pretoria during his relatively short coaching career.
In his final year of playing club rugby for Naka Bulls, Marais was asked if he was interested in coaching the Under-15 team at Hoërskool Overkruin back in 2003.
After a few years of success coaching at schoolboy level Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, who was the Bulls’ Director of Rugby gave him a chance to coach Tuks in the Varsity Cup.
Since then Marais has demonstrated his coaching abilities collecting two Varsity Cup titles and three Under-21 Provincial Championship trophies with the Blue Bulls.
In pursuit of his passion, Marais gave up a successful career as a logistics manager without any real coaching prospects.
"I went almost a year without work because I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in rugby but my wife said if it is something that made me happy then I should go for it," he said.
"Within a year I had a job with a small salary which allowed me to follow my passion."
