Bulls coach Frans Ludeke has identified three areas of concern as they prepare for their Super Rugby opener against the Sharks in Durban on 15 February.
The Bulls lost a pre-season match in Polokwane 26 / 19 to the Stormers last weekend and according to Ludeke they must improve their scrums, tactical kicking and work ethic before the season-proper starts.
Sport24
“Our scrums aren’t where it should be. We conceded a few penalties (against the Stormers) and we’re looking at a technical adjustment or two,” Ludeke said.
The Sharks showed in last year’s Currie Cup final when they tactically outfoxed Western Province how important that facet of play is. Their new coach, Jake White, was also at the helm of the Brumbies when they employed a smart tactical game to beat the Bulls in last year’s Super Rugby semi-final at Loftus Versfeld.
Francois Hougaard (scrumhalf) and Louis Fouché (flyhalf) would therefore need to be at the top of their games if the Bulls are to start the season well.
The other challenge, according to Ludeke, is to maintain a high work ethic all the time.
“The match against the Stormers was a good starting point, but we’ll have to put up a better effort (against the Sharks). We can’t afford to slack off at times with our work ethic.”
I can offhand think of more areas of concern….
* Hooker selection and depth
* Lineout throwing
* Starting props selections
* Flyhalf stock and selection
* Fullback options and depth
* Scrums & scrum penalties
* Lineouts (did not go well against Stormers in warm-up)
* Breakdown play
* Selection policies on starters and bench options
* Contracting issues and losing key players
* Persistance with team favourites in certain positions
* Game approach and game plan
Remember you have a team full of fighters and as last year when very little gave them any chance they produced the goods and nearly reached the final.
From my armchair view they do have challenges in the administration of the Union and should concentrate to sort that out.
I don’t think they will be disappointing this year, just not in them to consistently suck.
Remember the Blues two years ago and the Highlanders last year, both these teams were brilliant on paper and totally under delivered.
Bulls have more balls than them so they will come good (I hope)
2 @ Gena_ZA:
Apart from administartive (contracting position) problems, I believe Frans Ludeke (hell of a nic e guy) is far too hesitant or conservative to try something a bit new or out of the box.
Conservatism is not necessarily evil or wrong and structures work… unless it hampers progression, which I think in this case applies to a degree.
The same mantra eminates from within the Bulls camp every week, as if they do not trust the media and supporters in their plans (and indeed they should not always reveal ALL, I appreciate that much). It will continue to be that way, that the same mantra is held in front of us.
The mantra will be: “We take it 1 game at a time and don’t look past that, the rest will take care of itself.”
I just wish they were a little bit more accomodating, and would give us a teeny-weeny bit of a deeper look into how they plan to progress and where they want to move towards from an overall picture.
The opposite of the Bulls mantra, on the other hand, is to open your big mouth at every opportunity you get as we see in Jake White’s case.
The happy medium must be somewhere inbetween… not too little, not too much!
@ grootblousmile:
So the Bulls have similar problems to the Lions?
4 @ Lion4ever:
Now I would not exactly say THAT… hehehe
@ grootblousmile:
Have to agree with you there. More than just the obvious 3 Ludeke mentions.
The big questions are: Are the problems solvable before or during the tournament and do they know HOW to solve them?
I think correct personnel will solve 70% of the issues, but can Ludeke step up to the plate?
stem met Groottes
sê te min en weier om foute te erken
“ons werk daaraan”
maak my mal
I’m in the top 1/2 of the bru table and the S15 haven’t even started yet
whooo hooo
8 @ Atlas:
Jy’s die man van die Losie daar op Loftus, wat ek besoek het, nie waar nie?
@ grootblousmile:
Too true about Ludeke – Two examples of this:
Steyn’s form in 2012, costing us games in the process, going unnoticed as there was no tried backup.
Spies being named captain by Meyer before leaving to coach the Boks, and still remaining captain despite average form.
6 @ Blue Traveller:
I think we’re probably 3 players light of “The right personnel”
We needed 1 great hooker who towers above the rest of the hookers.
We need clarity and progression at flyhalf… we’ve lost a lot with Morné Steyn gone.
Fullback is a serious problem, I do not think Jurgen Visser is the answer… and the rest are behind him in the pecking order.
A small mind-shift by Frans Ludeke, not even a big one, could sort out issues from the coaching and selection perspective. The players like and believe in Frans Ludeke… he’s won 2 Titles.
Since 2004, the Bulls have only NOT MADE THE PLAY-OFF’S on 2 occasions – 2008 (10th) & 2011 (7th).
Halloooo GB
Ek is bekommerd oor ons 11,14 en 15. Ons gaan onder erge druk daar wees. Skrums was die afgelope drie jaar al n kwessie. Ten minste 3 tot 4 strafskoppe per wedstryd. FL gaan sy vinger uit sy hol moet trek en dit uitsorteer. Werk etiek is n direkte resultaat van goeie afrigting. FL moet bietjie na homself begin kyk en die vraag vra of sy spelers vir mekaar en hulle afrigters speel of individueel aan toffie. Met Victor daar behoort dit vinnig uitgesorteer te raak maar dit is n faset wat die Bulle baie baie jare laas n probleem mee gehad het.
Hougie gaan ook nou moet staal wys as een die senior lede in die span. Sy vorm gaan grootliks verantwoordelik wees of ons agterlyn aan die gang gaan kom of nie.
12 & 13 @ KWAGGA ROBERTSE:
Hello my vrind, jy’s ook so skaars soos hoendervoortande, deesdae!
Ja, kan baie GOU ‘n moeilike seisoen vir ons raak… maar die ander spanne is in dieselfde bootjie.
Dis net ‘n klein veranderinkie om met Mellet en Kirsten te begin as stutte en groter klem op die jaag en bemeestering van meer grondbal, gekoppel aan meer besit-rugby (in plaas van skop en jaag)… en ons is OK… maar Frans se WIL en MOTIVERING moet daar wees om daai klein veranderings aan te bring.
Ek is nie so bekommerd oor 11 nie, Bjorn Basson is immers ‘n Bok. Op 14 het ons ou solid Akona, maar ek sou vir JJ Engelbrecht daar speel, met William Small-Smith op buitesenter. Dan sou ek dalk ook vir Akona na heelagter geskuiwe het, goed onder die hoë balle, solid op defence. Ek het net nie vertroue in Jurgen Visser nie, hy is TE wisselvallig.
Ek dink Hougie en Piet van Zyl gaan mekaar hard push vir die begin spot op Nr 9… en dit alleen sal Hougie weer in ‘n masjien verander.
Callie op hakker dink ek gan baie verbaas hierdie jaar
Bjorn se defence suck, dis hoekom hy nie meer n Bok is nie maar in die losser S15 beteken hy baie punte.
JJ sal eers weer vleuel speel as hy teruggaan WP toe, amper seker daarvan
Hougie, snuif snuif, sal maar sien…
@ grootblousmile:
Quite right, 3 personnel indeed. None of the hookers have really made an impact wherever they played. Our loosies were nowhere last year in the currie cup, so with Botha out, another injury there and we sit with a crisis. At inside centre, our stocks are also low. If Serfontein goes down, do we use Beyers or Murray?
Visser is very inconsistent I agree – in the latter stages of Super rugby last year he did play well though. I feel Jesse Kriel must be pushed. To see him in the group, means someone in the coaching panel agrees with me.
Funny, but at flyhalf, I’m not too overly concerned – as long as they kick all their kickable penalties over. With the Bulls’ gameplan not too much initiative is needed there. I just hope they don’t kick unnecessary.
Potgieter needs to challenge the younsters for that spot. One reason I felt we wasted the currie cup last year was that we did not develop/experiment with our flyhalf stock enough. Especially if they didn’t want to win it in the first place.
9@Groottes
Yip dis ek
Elke dag hier
Maar se niks
Hoop ek sien julle weer die jaar
En alle sterkte vir my Bulle
Net nog n ding GB
Dis ongelooflik dat jy my nic onthou
Coolers
@ Atlas:
Bulle se gat
Ons het so baie Kings spelers gekoop, hoop maar dat daai span se spangees en saamspeel saam hulle gekom het.
Hulle was nou werklik n nou name brand span maar hul het n baie goeie SPAN geword. Ek dink die Bulle se enigste kans gaan wees as hulle soos n span speel.
Gaan interessant wees om te sien hoe Hougard vaar. Ek dink nog steeds hy is n vleul en nie n skrumskakel nie. Lewe sonder Morne gaan ook n aan passing wees, gaan Fouche dieselfde hoeveelheid punte kan handhaaf?
Flok, ek het nou ‘n lelike vloedjie hier in my kantoor gehad….
Blikskottel!
17 & 18 @ Atlas:
Jy sal vind, ek het ‘n geheue soos ‘n olifant… wanneer dit my pas…
20 @ superBul:
Bulls het nog nooit aan spangees ontbreek nie, ek dink tewens dis hoekom ons die laaste 3 jaar, met al die spelers wat ons jaarliks verloor het, nog die mas kon opkom in Super Rugby.
@ grootblousmile:
Dit is so maar daai samespel van die Kings was briljant, erken dit maar. So wat ek vra is nie iets nuuts nie. Maar ek gaan nie nou baie se nie die bed roep.
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