PRETORIA - Bulls scrum doctor and former Springbok hooker Gary Botha has called on the players to “adapt or die” ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
The Bulls struggled to keep up with the pace of the game and were placed under severe pressure in the scrums and line-outs by the Stormers in their 37-24 loss at the weekend.
There has been a lot of criticism at how the Bulls line-out of Lood de Jager and RG Snyman was outwitted by their Stormers counterparts Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit while Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane’s credentials as a tighthead prop have also come under the spotlight after being made to look like a novice by the Stormers' JC Janse van Rensburg.
“Obviously it was the first game of Super Rugby, reminiscent of last year with the same issue about set-pieces. I just don’t think we completely had the rhythm during the game,” Botha said on Tuesday.
“Well done to them, their preparation was key. We know what we did wrong and at least it is the first round of the competition. I guess it’s back to the drawing board and we have to work on the things we did wrong.”
Botha is hoping for a much improved showing in the game against the Cheetahs and wants more emphasis on execution and doing so accurately.
“I think the emphasis will definitely be on execution in specific positions and specific parts of the game. Come scrum time this weekend against the Cheetahs it will be the same. We have worked on it (scrum) and a couple of things we have sorted out and hopefully come the weekend we can execute better than we did the past weekend.”
Botha believes the Bulls have no choice but to quickly adapt to the interpretation of the rules by the referees even though he has questioned whether the scrum laws are being applied to the letter of the law.
Botha’s point of contention is not about the dominance at scrum time but rather the way Janse van Rensburg was binding on Nyakane.
Originally a loosehead turned permanent tighthead this year, Nyakane was one of the country’s standout players when required to fill the position in the past two years and it is difficult to believe that in a matter of one game Nyakane can be reduced to being a bad scrummager.
Botha was not willing to comment further on his bone of contention with the scrums but said that the Bulls frontrow had no other choice but to quickly adapt.
“That goes for whoever is in charge. Different guys have different interpretations and we have to adapt.
“Adapt or die as they say. That’s the end of the story,” said Botha.
After undergoing a prolonged post-mortem of the game against the Stormers and also admitting to the ills of their ways in a game where they were comprehensively beaten, Botha is confident they can fix their problems within the course of the week before they face the Cheetahs who are also renowned for their scrumming prowess.
“I believe so. I think it’s just a technical issue and error. If you look at the way the game has gone, especially scrummaging, it has become a technical battlefield and obviously it is all pressure-driven. One knows it goes part and parcel with pressure, whoever can generate the most and utilise it. I don’t think we should be judged on one game but it is back to the drawing board and prep for this weekend,” Botha said.