Bulls have no 'I' in their team
When the Stormers play the Bulls there is no additional sideshows needed to spice up the encounter. Just the history between these two great outfits takes care of the pre-match hype.
However, there is some added flavour to a game that is already building up as one of the most intriguing and engrossing battles of the season.
Both teams will have in their ranks a few players who in the not too distant past played for the other side.
Bryan Habana (a two-times Super Rugby winner with the Bulls) and Gerhard van den Heever are the Stormers’ two most recent imports from Pretoria, while the Bulls have in Johann Sadie and JJ Engelbrecht a duo who made the trek up north at the end of last year.
However, Bulls coach Frans Ludeke is adamant those players will only have an influence on the game if they play within the team structures.
While moments of brilliance can sometimes swing a game, it is the team and not the individual who will most likely determine the outcome of this north-south derby.
“Yes, players like Johann [Sadie[ and JJ [Engelbrecht] know the area and are familiar with Newlands,” Ludeke told this website in an exclusive interview.
“However, I don’t think that is necessary a factor.
“Often people will say: ‘The altitude and you play at home.’. But when that whistle goes it is only about that contest between the four lines. If you struggle the crowd comes into play and the opposition gets stronger.”
Ludeke said he feels the sideshows, of which individual transferred from which team, and who knows what ground best, are not the most important factors.
“The big factor is what teams gets control, what plan can that team execute and how accurate they can be in finishing the opportunities created,” the coach told this website.
“It is not about individual battles that will seal the deal or whether one guy is better or more familiar with the conditions.
“If they can contribute it will be great.
“We recruited them, because they are talented players.
“However, we function as a team, not as individuals – it will be a team effort that will win the day.”
By Jan de Koning
