PRETORIA - Has too much been made of the Bulls first-half performance against the Stormers, Handre Pollard’s form and the scrumming of Trevor Nyakane?
Perhaps it has been too much of a non-issue made by the throng of Stormers fans and dented egos of some of the Loftus Versfeld faithful, but it is something of the past for the Bulls team facing another test of their ability and character against the Cheetahs.
Bulls captain Pollard fronted up and took in the criticism this week during yesterday’s team announcement.
But it has been his calmness and nerves of steel that sends out a warning to the rest of the teams in the competition not to judge the Bulls on the first 40 minutes at Newlands.
What Pollard and his men in blue would have walked away with from the battle of Newlands was that they are a far better team than the one that played in the first half.
And they can beat any team in the competition away from home if they play like they did in the second half at Newlands.
That is what the Bulls will seek from their bushveld adventure in the Free State capital, a full house of points and their first win.
Pollard believes that a win against the Cheetahs will not only serve as redemption for last weekend’s result, but it will give them the necessary belief in themselves before hitting the road to New Zealand to face the Blues and Chiefs before finishing off their short tour with fixture against the Sunwolves in Tokyo.
“We’ve got to win away from home, it’s the only way you are going to be competitive," said Pollard.
Bulls coach Nollis Marais has kept faith with most of the same personnel whose names were dragged through the mud for 40 minutes before they redeemed themselves.
However, Jason Jenkins comes in for the injured Lood de Jager and Lizo Gqoboka is handed a starting role at loosehead prop ahead of Pierre Schoeman.
Bulls: Jesse Kriel, Travis Ismaiel, Dries Swanepoel, Burger Odendaal, Jamba Ulengo, Handre Pollard (captain), Rudy Paige, Hanro Liebenberg, Jacques Potgieter, Nic de Jager, RG Snyman, Jason Jenkins, Trevor Nyakane, Jaco Visagie, Lizo Gqoboka. Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle, Pierre Schoeman, Jacobie Adriaanse, Renaldo Bothma, Ruan Steenkamp, Piet van Zyl, Tian Schoeman, Warrick Gelant.