Marais wants solution to second-half lapses
The Bulls have struggled to put a full 80-minute performance together in all their matches so far this year, often allowing opposition team's a way back into the match after a dominant first half performance.
It was no different against the Cheetahs at Loftus Versfeld, with the visitors dominating play in the second half after the Bulls were looking comfortable for most of the first half. The Bulls eventually won 23-18.
"I think it's more a focus thing," said Marais who was addressing media after the game.
"You are looking at a young side that's playing well and then suddenly they lose a bit of momentum and then they stop playing.
"I don't think it's a fitness thing because we done the tests and we are better than where we were last year – we are fitter than last year. We might need to work on the intensity or work rate or something else.
"I can't give you the correct answer."
Marais believes the Cheetahs got most of their momentum in the second half from the scrums, an area which is considered to be one of the strengths of the Bulls.
"If we handled the set pieces better, then we would have been in control of the game.
"We played very well in the first half, scored beautiful tries, moved the ball around, and an in the second half the set pieces put us under pressure. They [Cheetahs] got their momentum from that. It is something we were good at in the last three matches," Marais added.
Bulls captain and hooker Adriaan Strauss said their poor performance in the scrums was not down to any individual.
"In the last three games were quite good in the set pieces, but sadly today [Saturday] we weren't and as players we take responsibility for that," said Strauss.
"I think the coaches have done a great job with us in the last couple of weeks. We have really done better at scrum time, but tonight we just did not pitch up. It's not an individual thing – everyone played and we struggled throughout except the first scrum of the game.
"It's a team thing and not caused by individual error. It is something as a pack of forwards that we need to fix."
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