Bulls coach Frans Ludeke doesn’t believe that the Springbok’s mandatory rest will interfere with his Super Rugby plans, although the issue is a delicate one between the Boks management and franchise coaches.
The Bulls had a poor start to the competition, losing two games in a row. But Ludeke’s team seems to have found their rhythm after two consecutive wins and he will find it difficult to make changes to accommodate the needs of the national team.
Although the Bulls enjoyed a bye last weekend, which Ludeke felt was a timely break, he will need to manage his squad more carefully over the next seven weeks, which will lay the ground for their tour to New Zealand and Australia.
Ludeke faces serious challenges in pleasing his board, as well as long-time friend and Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. However, he has insisted his job at the Bulls means more than pleasing national interests.
For Ludeke, it will be important to ensure the Bulls at least make the play-offs this season, after a five season drought where the team have struggled to re-establish themselves among the best in the competition.
“Obviously, the commitment that we made to Saru we made and we need to do it within five weeks.
“We need to manage it and all the sides in the competition need to go through the same challenge, even those in Australia and New Zealand, so that can’t be an excuse.
“Fortunately, our players know the system well enough and we expect them to produce well enough on the weekend.”
As much as Ludeke and his bosses have committed themselves to supporting the Springboks in their quest to become world champions again, Ludeke remains cognisant of his duties to his employers.
“We are definitely committed to rotate them but we had a whole session last week as coaches and looked at how we can do it in a calculated way and not just to rest players.
“There are a few principles that we put out. We are committed to it and all the players have bought into it,” Ludeke said yesterday.
Luduke has the luxury that most, if not all, Super Rugby coaches in South Africa haven’t had – the luck of the draw.
The draw for the competition worked in Ludeke’s favour as his team lost their first two matches but managed to recover and win their following two to move into the top tier of the table.
Ludeke believes the one-week break from rugby has done his team a world of good ahead of their clash against the Western Force at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Even though the Bulls are expected to make a handful of changes, it doesn’t seem they will deviate from their bullish ways of recording their third victory of the season.
“You can see the guys are freshened up and this is a vital seven weeks – that’s why we took a total break from rugby and just had one-on-ones.”
“We have a vital game this week and we must continue from where we left off as we have an important seven weeks of rugby ahead of us. This is when we must make it count,” added Ludeke.
Ludeke is likely to rest veteran Victor Matfield for Grant Hattingh, while Arno Botha is expected to make his first start at Super Rugby in almost two years in place of Deon Stegmann.
It seems Ludeke will also make changes in the front row, with Trevor Nyakane taking a breather at prop, Dean Greyling taking over at loosehead and Marcel van der Merwe at tighthead.
Springbok hooker Adriaan Strauss will continue to start, especially given that replacement hooker Callie Visagie won’t be available for this weekend’s clash against the Australians.
Flyhalf Jacques-Louis Potgieter is still struggling with a thigh injury. - The Star