VIDEO: Rampaging Bulls getting 'creative' with their coaching
The Bulls are on the rampage, surging to the top of the Currie Cup standings with two comprehensive victories at the start of the season.
After strong-arming their way past Western Province (48-23) in Cape Town in Round One, they then whitewashed the Sharks 64-0 at Loftus Versfeld this past weekend.
It has injected them into a position of early tournament favourites.
Bulls assistant coach Kennedy Tsimba said avoiding complacency would be their biggest ‘challenge’ going forward.
Tsimba, 51, said that he experienced the same highs of playing such an enjoyable game and having a good time, but then going through the motions because it worked before.
“One of the main areas we focused on is letting the guys know we take it game for game,” he told @rugby365com, adding: “Sometimes you don’t get things to go your way, and that is where understanding you will get tough opposition that challenges you.
“It is who adapts in those situations.”
He said they try to find the right balance between overloading the players in rugby terms and connecting with them on another level.
“We want to ensure our approach is well-rounded and not overly focused on the game.
“As a player, you want a good balance between fun and being serious, understanding that our minds must be fresh.
“That way, when things do go wrong, you can problem-solve.
“The coaching has to be creative in the modern game,” he added.
With a host of seasoned players, including Scottish international Jaco van der Walt pulling the strings at flyhalf, the Bulls have the luxury of easing talented young players into the system.
This is in contrast with the Sharks, who mainly relied on talented age-group team members.
It was the proverbial contest of men against boys.
(WATCH as Bulls assistant coach Kennedy Tsimba chats to @king365ed about finding the right balance after rocketing to the top of the Currie Cup standings….)
“It is so important,” he told @rugby365com, adding: “It is the right way of getting the youth into senior rugby.
“Those elder statesmen have such wisdom and experience that they allow us who are coaching from outside [on the touchline] to rely on their calming influence of those who have been through it.
“We talk about nurturing [players] and it is about walking together and that is where the elder statesmen bring extra value.”
It was a similar scenario for the Bulls last year, when they went unbeaten in the first eight rounds, before losing to the Sharks in the semifinal.
The former Zimbabwean international, who also featured in 100-plus games for the Cheetahs and Bulls, said it is about not getting ahead of yourself.
“Each week brings different challenges, and there are teams that will ask different questions.
“The lessons we learnt from last year [2024] are that you need to peak at the right time.
“We have to be able to navigate the competition and perform at our peak at the business end of the season.”
Tsimba began his coaching journey in 2011, when he switched from playing to assistant coach at the Cheetahs for a short stint, then joined Rustenburg Impala, guiding them to two Community Gold Cup championships.
That was followed by a stint at St Alban’s College in Pretoria, and in 2020, he joined the University of Pretoria, delivering two Varsity Cup victories in 2021 and 2022.
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