Pretoria News

‘Pumas loss a disgrace, but Bulls can overcome setbacks’

ASHFAK MOHAMED ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za

IT’S been a dreadful period for the Bulls over the last few months, but they will have two opportunities to get back on track this weekend and will hope that their fortunes change for the better.

Edgar Marutlulle’s Blue Bulls Currie Cup team will lock horns with the Free State Cheetahs on Friday in Bloemfontein, while Jake White’s United Rugby Championship outfit set sail for Belfast yesterday to face Ulster on Saturday.

The Pretoria franchise have lost nine out of their last 11 matches across all competitions, including last week’s 41-33 defeat to Western Province and the previous week’s 63-15 annihilation at the hands of the Pumas – both at Loftus.

Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss said in a weekend broadcast message on his social media accounts that “haters will hate and obviously enjoy our current misery”, but admitted that things cannot continue as they are.

“Something is definitely missing in our senior team, which is difficult for us as leadership and coaching staff to identify. There are the obvious factors that contribute to the slump in form – Walt (Steenkamp), Arno (Botha) and especially Marcell (Coetzee) leaving have left a huge leadership vacuum,” Strauss wrote.

“A lack of X-factor and pace due to Madosh (Tambwe) leaving and Canan (Moodie) and KL (Kurt-Lee Arendse) having to rest.

“We definitely need specialist defence coach(es) in our system.

“The loss against the Pumas was a disgrace. The games we lost against Scarlets, the Stormers, Lions and WP we could have, or rather should have won.

“Maak 3 voeltjies n somer? (Do three swallows make a summer?)

“KL and Canan are available next weekend and Marcell will be back from Japan by the end of April.

“Player X that missed a tackle or player Y that drops a high ball does not define Jake and his coaching staff that have achieved incredible success from the beginning by winning Currie Cups and other competitions, as well as reaching two international finals.

“Even less does it define us as a province who have established the best club, junior rugby and women’s programmes in South Africa.

“Haters will hate and obviously enjoy our current misery.

“Everyone however knows that the Bulls have the leadership, structures and shareholders to overcome setbacks and continue our quest to become the best rugby club in the world, on and off the field.”

There is no doubt that Arendse and Moodie will add a much-needed cutting edge to the Bulls attack against Ulster, but they need to find a way to shore up their defence. White said after the Province encounter that there will be changes in the coaching ranks as the contracts of Pine Pienaar and Nollis Marais will not be renewed.*

SPORT

en-za

2023-03-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/282110640850326

African News Agency