Super Rugby SA conference preview: The Bulls

The Bulls, have historically been South Africa’s sole shining light in the southern hemisphere showpiece and arguably the second best team in the competition’s history, bettered only by the Crusaders of New Zealand.

The Bulls call the city of Pretoria home, with the 51,762 seat ‘Fortress Loftus’ their home ground. They have an average attendance of 35,234 from 2007-2014.

They are a proud union with lots of history that has earned the second most Currie Cups in its history with 23 titles since 1892, second only to Western Province’s 33 titles.

They also have three Super Rugby championship trophies to their name in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and have achieved some prolific (and horrific to some like myself) scores against the best of teams in Super Rugby in years past.

Sadly things have not been as rosy for the Pretorians from 2011 to 2014, but they also haven’t disgraced themselves in that period either. They were competitive in 2012, having ended in fifth spot on the overall log. They topped the South African conference in 2013 and only just failed in their attempts to reach the play-offs in 2014. Their most recent Super Rugby season saw them at ninth spot, winning seven games, losing eight and having drawn one.

In the 2014 ABSA Currie Cup season the Blue Bulls lost out to Western Province at Newlands by 31 – 23 in the semi-final after finishing fourth on the overall log, winning six games and losing four. Two of those losses were against Western Province, who was the eventual champions, home and away, one to the Golden Lions at Ellis Park and the last against the Natal Sharks at Loftus Versfeld.

So what have we learnt from the Bulls’ efforts in the 2014 season, stretching from Super Rugby to the Currie Cup? More or less the same as we’ve learnt from most of their seasons, whether successful or a complete failure. The Bulls like to have big packs and a fly-half who can boot them to victory.

The team relies heavily on the traditional strengths of South African rugby: physicality, structure and tactical kicking ability. While their style has been criticised from all parts of the world, the Bulls remain a force in Super Rugby and the best performing South African side.

They do not believe in a high paced game of skill and the freedom for their players to express themselves, constantly selecting a highly confrontational pack of forwards and a backline specialising in the areas of tactical kicking, speed out wide and aerial ability. This style of play has brought them success in the past but the question everyone asks now is will this style still work or has rugby officially moved on?

From the South African media we have learnt that the Stormers, Lions and Cheetahs have all agreed to assist Heyneke Meyer in his attempt to evolve the South African game. With the arrival of Gary Gold and the return of Brendan Venter to the Sharks and going by Gold’s earliest statements after his appointment, the Sharks will also attempt to implement the attacking rugby revolution in South African rugby. So where does this leave the Bulls?

Unfortunately with Frans Ludeke as head coach I can’t see the Bulls moving away from their inherent pragmatic style of play. Perhaps it is also a good thing. It does have its benefits to still have a team who plays a structured game of rugby. After three championship titles who could blame them?

I for one would love to see the Bulls utilising their players in a more open and free team culture but maybe, just maybe, South Africa needs a team to stick with what it currently does best.

2015 season preview
The Bulls open their campaign against their traditional rivals the Stormers followed by the Hurricanes and the Sharks, all at home. After that they travel to Bloemfontein to face the Cheetahs and then they will have their first bye.

This is a dream start for the Bulls and I can see them walking away with four out of four before their bye. The Stormers have been exceptionally poor the past two seasons and have lost both games in Pretoria in the last two years, so the Bulls will be hot favourites to give the old foe a spanking in their first game.

The Hurricanes, depending on their form, can certainly win but a confident Bulls team at Loftus with a favourable first four game draw makes for a big challenge. I expect Loftus to get them through as it will against the Sharks who have a poor record at Loftus as well. The Cheetahs present the easiest game despite it being an away game. The Bulls love playing the Cheetahs and have only lost but once against them.

After their bye they will face the Western Force at home and they will fancy their chances there as well. After that the big game comes against the Crusaders at home. Being the Crusaders I can see this being their first loss of the season, but anything can happen. Then they face the Lions at Ellis Park and this can also prove to be a bit too much for them should the Lions continue with their stunning Currie Cup performances. Then they face the Reds, once again at home, and I would imagine that they’d win thanks to Loftus yet again.

After this it gets tricky. They will leave their fortress and venture towards Growthpoint Kings Park and DHL Newlands in succession for revenge games against the Sharks and Stormers.

The Sharks have the pack to subdue the Bulls and will be eager to get one over them, so I can see the Sharks claiming that one. After that I can see the Stormers beating the Bulls as well. One thing about the Stormers is that they hate losing to the Bulls and even more so at Newlands. Regardless of poor form the Stormers tend to beat the Bulls comfortably at home as they have done for the past three years (20-17 2012, 30-13 2013, 16-0 2014).

After what I predict to be their third loss of the season they will return to Loftus to face the Lions and again depending on the Lions’ form anything can happen. They will then have their second bye after which they will finally travel Down Under.

Their overseas tour could shape their destiny. They will have no fortress to hide behind and the Brumbies, Chiefs and Blues are not to be taken lightly at home. It is very possible for them to lose all three those games and win only against the Rebels but even that is a tough ask these days as the Bulls have never been good travelers. After that they will return home for one last time to face the Cheetahs and they will win.

Overall it’s not a bad draw. It presents a dream start, a shaky middle and a tough finish. One thing about the Bulls is that they are a tough team to beat at home and they have a favourable draw there. I see them realistically winning nine games and losing seven which would be an improvement on last year.

Of course depending on the form of every other team and their own form in 2015 I could be totally wrong. But for me the South African conference is between them and the Sharks as they have the best draws, packs and I predict my Stormers to struggle especially since they’ve refused to make notable changes in coaching staff, but I will explain more in their preview.

They have lost a lot of players in Clayton Blommetjies, David Bulbring, Louis Fouche, Luan Jacobs, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sampie Mastriet, Bongi Mbonambi, Jono Ross and Paul Willemse but have pilfered Cheetahs captain and Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss, Cheetahs flanker Lappies Labuschagne and Blitzbok Jamba Ulengo.

But to have a successful 2015 season the Bulls cannot do what they did in 2014, especially in the Currie Cup. Their loose-forward combination was a complete disaster with Ludeke persisting with a ridiculous amount of size with no designated fetcher in the team. To those who did not watch the Currie Cup spot the mistake in this forward pack.

1. Dean Greyling (186cm, 120kg), 2. Callie Visage (188cm, 107kg), 3. Werner Kruger (190cm, 121kg), 4. Paul Willemse (203cm, 127kg), 5. Wiaan Liebenberg (198, 110kg), 6. Jonno Ross (190cm, 108kg), 7. Jacques du Plessis (201cm, 119kg), 8. Grant Hattingh (201cm, 110kg)

This is certainly one of the biggest packs that I have ever seen and yet they were properly beaten by a much smaller Western Province side in the league stages. The reason was simple, the Bulls only had ball carriers and no fetcher. You cannot sport a backrow consisting of two loose forwards who are above two metres, especially if you play Jonno Ross, who is actually an 8, at openside flanker and Grant Hattingh at 8 when he is actually a lock. The smaller Western Province loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Michael Rhodes and Nizaam Carr made a proper meal out of the Bulls.

Deon Steggman was called in after injury for the semi-final and though the Bulls lost, they were far more dominant on the day especially at the breakdown. He will be mandatory for the Bulls if they want to win and I suspect that the Cheetahs recruitments of Strauss and Labuschagne were also calculated to counteract this lack in their game.

Finally, as we do not know whether the Bulls will play a bit more expansively or not they will have to choose their halves wisely. If they choose to expand their style then the combination of Handre Pollard and Francois Hougaard will bring them results. If they choose to retain their structured game then they cannot select Hougaard at scrum-half. He does not have the ability to kick tactically.

My Bulls team for 2015
1. Dean Greyling (186cm, 120kg)
2. Adriaan Strauss (185cm, 114kg)
3. Marcell van der Merwe (186cm, 128kg)
4. Flip van der Merwe (198cm, 119kg)
5. Victor Matfield (201cm, 110kg)
6. Deon Steggman (180cm, 98kg)
7. Lappies Labuschagne (189cm, 108kg)
8. Pierre Spies (194cm, 108kg)
9. Rudy Paige (171cm, 80kg)
10. Handre Pollard (189cm, 98kg)
11. JJ Engelbrecht (191cm, 95kg)
12. Jan Serfontein (187cm, 97kg)
13. Daniel Kriel (194cm, 104kg)
14. Bjorn Basson (185cm, 87kg)
15. Jesse Kriel (185cm, 95kg)

What’s your prediction for the Bulls’ season?