VIDEO: How Bulls are making their 'one-squad' system work
The Bulls’ decision to play in the United Rugby Championship and Currie Cup with one large squad raised some eyebrows.
And when they lost a few matches, especially on the away leg of the URC at the start of the season, the doubters were quick with the ‘I told so!’ exclamations.
However, back home the Bulls have not only gone on a winning streak, but they are also now one of three South African teams in the top eight – the play-off zone and a spot in Europe next season.
It is a long way to go still, but Bulls Director of Rugby Jake White is happy that the pieces of the puzzle are finally starting to fall into place.
White described the nine-try, 57-12 thrashing of Welsh outfit the Scarlets at the weekend as “probably the best” performance by his team this season.
The Bulls boss also said the presence of his former Springbok assistant coach Gert Smal has played a major role in the franchise’s success on and off the field.
“He has won a Currie Cup [twice with Western Province] and he understands coaching,” White said of his team’s Currie Cup coach, Smal.
“We work well together.
“We work as one unit.”
(C0ntinue below …)
White also touched on the question of the need to manage their resources, adding that the past week they “got it right” – beating Munster in the URC on a Saturday, the Sharks in the Currie Cup last Wednesday and demolishing Scarlets this past weekend.
“We now go into the next block,” the Bulls boss said of a more manageable period that sees them play only two games in a week – the Lions (Currie Cup on Wednesday) and Dragons (URC on Saturday).
They also have some players returning from injury – like frontline prop Mornay Smith.
“We will have a bit more depth in certain positions, although we still a bit thin at lock,” he said of the ongoing absence of Jacques du Plessis and Sintu Manjezi.
“I am confident, the way we manage the players and the challenges we give them, they have shown that they can handle it.”
This past weekend was another perfect round of results in the URC, the second consecutive weekend of four victories for the South African teams.
The Sharks, Stormers and Bulls all occupy spots in the top-eight on the standings, while Lions helped their compatriots with a superb 23-21 win over Irish giants Munster.
The local sides also stepped up their attack and defence this weekend.
The previous week they scored 19 tries and conceded eight, but this past weekend they upped that to a combined 22 tries while conceding only five.
The Sharks are now in the sixth position on the standings with 36 points, followed by the Stormers in seventh (34) and the Bulls in eighth (32) – but they have a game in hand on most of their closest rivals.
The Lions won their fourth game of the season and moved up to the 13th spot with 21 points.
Next weekend, the Lions host the Ospreys from Wales in Johannesburg, the Stormers welcome Irish powerhouse Ulster to Cape Town, the Sharks take on Scottish outfit Edinburgh in Durban and the Bulls face Welsh outfit Dragons in Pretoria.
@rugby365com
