The Bulls might be riding the crest of the wave in Super Rugby but they will want to maintain their winning form when they cross paths with the Brumbies on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
In order for the Bulls to stay in touch with the leading pack, coach Frans Ludeke has called for consistency from his team as they are one game away from heading for Australia and New Zealand on their overseas leg of the competition.
With two consecutive wins under their belt and his team having hit what seems like a steady gallop, Ludeke’s plan for success has further been enhanced by his team not being affected much by injuries.
On Wednesday, Ludeke exercised the luxury of being able to name almost the same side that beat the Lions last week with only Springbok Dean Greyling doubtful because of injury.
Greyling is still struggling with a rib injury sustained in the victory against the Lions and will be given until Thursday to prove his fitness but Ludeke won’t risk his flamboyant loosehead prop and has bracketed Dawie Steyn as a likely replacement if Greyling is unfit.
If Steyn is to play then the former Pumas prop will earn his first Super Rugby cap after making the move from Mpumalanga to the capital during the off-season.
The Bulls, though, did have the misfortune of losing Springbok flank Dewald Potgieter this week to a hamstring injury after Potgieter had made a cameo appearance off the bench last weekend in his first match of the season.
The good news is that openside flank Deon Stegmann is recovering at a pleasing rate and though he could have been available for the clash against the Brumbies, Ludeke has opted to give Stegmann another week to make sure that he is in tip top condition for their trip abroad.
“We are blessed not to have a lot of injuries. It is a real pity about Dewald and we will have clarity on Deon later in the week,” Ludeke said. “If he (Greyling) is not fit we won’t risk him. It is still a long season ahead and we will back the guy that will replace him,” said Ludeke about Greyling’s injuries.
However, the focus of the Bulls won’t be on what they can do with a full strength team, instead it will be to gain another victory and try to wrestle the South African conference and overall log top spot away from the Stormers and Chiefs, respectively, if both teams lose their games over the weekend.
“It’s always good to keep winning we want to keep it a habit. We had to work really hard against the Lions they are the type of team that never goes away. It was a good defensive effort.
“We have to maintain the pace. It is a week structure and we are happy with the way things are going. It is important to have a balance in the side and take things week by week then the length of the season won’t be a problem. We just focus game by game and the log will look after itself. We just want to build on last week’s performance and consistency is what is vital for us at this stage,” Ludeke said.
Bulls
Zane Kirchner, Akona Ndungane, JJ Engelbrecht, Wynand Olivier, Bjorn Basson, Morné Steyn, Francois Hougaard, Pierre Spies (captain), Jacques Potgieter, CJ Stander, Juandre Kruger, Wilhelm Steenkamp, Werner Kruger, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Dean Greyling, Dawie Steyn. Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Frik Kirsten, Gerrit-Jan van Velze, Arno Botha, Jano Vermaak, Louis Fouche, Johann Sadie.