Bulls happy to lock in youngsters
Confirmation that seasoned lock Grant Hattingh – who underwent surgery last Friday after picking up a groin injury a few weeks ago – is not expected for another five weeks, means the Bulls will have to rely on second row forwards barely out of their teens.
Rudolph Snyman and Jason Jenkins have been the starting locks the last few weeks and they will continue to do duty when the Bulls depart on a three-match Australasian tour at the end of the month.
The Bulls play the Reds in Pretoria this Saturday, have a bye the week thereafter and then cross the Indian Ocean where they will play the Western Force in Perth (April 29), the Brumbies in Canberra a week later and the Waratahs in Sydney in the final leg of their road-trip.
"Our locks are 20 years old and they have six [Super Rugby] caps under their belt," Marais said, when asked about the youthful second row he is using.
"They have to learn from this process and they climbed in," he said of their performance in a 38-6 win over the Southern Kings at the weekend.
"I am very proud of them."
He said Hattingh will only get back into the selection mix once the team returns from Australia.
"The youngsters we have are the guys in the driving seat and they must go with it," Marais said.
"All of them [are just] 20- or 21-years-old and it is good for them to get that experience."
There are no major injury concerns after the weekend's win over the Kings.
However, three players sat out training on Monday with minor niggles – utility back Jesse Kriel, scrumhalf Piet van Zyl and loose forward Pieter Labuschagne.
Other long-term injuries includes flyhalf Handré Pollard, who is recovering well after surgery to his knee and shoulder.
Fullback Warrick Gelant is healing well after surgery to his mandible, and expected to return in about four weeks.
Centre Burger Odendaal had surgery to his quad last week and is also making steady progress, and expected back the middle on next month.
* Meanwhile Springbok scrumhalf Rudy Paige and prop Lizo Gqoboka were back on the training field on Monday, and had good sessions, after missing last week's action.
Marais said he will "bite the bullet" and continue the transition of the Bulls from a predictable and dour team to a side that an play expansive, attractive and winning rugby.
"We asked: 'How is the game going to evolve in the next four year?'.
"We no longer have the players we had at the Bulls previously, the game as changed and we have to develop our players' skills.
"It doesn't come off every match, it is not always 110 percent, but it is a style we are focusing on.
"Because we have not play it [an expansive style] at the Bulls for seven years, all the youngsters must learn and the senior guys must also learn the new way of playing.
"We want to play a different style, but it is going to take time. I thought it would be easier, but there are a lot of things we still need to get in place.
"If you want to play a total brand of rugby there is a lot of work to be done.
"We have to bite the bullet now – it might not be pretty always – but if we don't get better we won't be able to compete."
