The growing pains of a team burdened with the task of finally bringing silverware back to Loftus Versfeld continues to be the stumbling block in the Blue Bulls’ pursuit of the perfect game.
The struggles of an otherwise good line-up were highlighted in their 46-32 win over Griquas in Kimberley on Saturday, which saw them lose top spot on the Currie Cup standings for the first time this season.
While their back three and the rest of the backline continue to revel in the spotlight with the endless deluge of possession they are being afforded, the inability of the forwards to dominate set-piece play is starting to give coach Nollis Marais restless nights.
The men from Pretoria were again exposed in the scrums by Griquas and the line-outs turned into a scrap that should never have been allowed to happen considering the talent that is within the Bulls pack.
Never one to shy away from reality, Marais was open about his team’s failings in Kimberley and how they allowed Griquas to score points and ultimately saw them relinquish top spot on the log to the Golden Lions – who are also unbeaten after four games.
With the encounter against the rejuvenated Free State Cheetahs at Loftus on Friday looming large, Marais says his team needs to quickly fix that which is broken, and that could very well lead to a change in personnel especially in the frontrow.
“No, I was not happy with the set pieces,” he said.
“We still need to work on our scrum. Yes, sometimes we were penalised incorrectly, but it’s something I will need to look at.
“Also, too many line-outs were lost as well yet that is something we are usually good at. Those are things we definitely need to fix this week.”
While not wanting to seem ungrateful for another set of five points, especially on the road, Marais was pleased with the result but the slow starts his team continue to struggle with is bothering him.
As they progress deeper into the competition – and with that the rising expectations of their fans – perhaps having their shortcomings exposed in Kimberley could serve as a timely reminder of how things can quickly unravel.
“Everybody will be happy with five points, especially away in Kimberley. We knew it was always going to be a tough challenge. We’ve now won three out of the last seven games played in Kimberley,” said Marais.
“I think it was a bit of an eye-opener for us. Maybe we need a good kick in the right place before we take on the Cheetahs at home. I think we are playing good rugby ... at certain stages.
“We just need to be more accurate. If we don’t get a good start then obviously the first 20 to 30 minutes are a struggle, and we’re forced into coming from behind later on. It’s the first 20 minutes and the first 10 in the second half we need to sort out. We aren’t accurate enough, and giving away points just musn’t happen.” - The Star