Finding momentum early on key for Bulls

Handré Pollard. Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

Handré Pollard. Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

Published Jan 23, 2019

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Starting their Super Rugby season on a winning note and keeping that momentum will be an early focus for the Bulls as they look to end their title drought.

Last year the Pretoria-based team started the season with a confidence-boosting victory over the Hurricanes at Loftus, but then lost their next four matches.

Bulls vice-captain Handre Pollard said finding some positive momentum early on would be imperative as their tour of Australasia only starts deep into the campaign.

“We won our first one last year and then we lost four in a row, I mean having a good start is not just the first weekend, it is the first four or five weeks and performing consistently,” Pollard said.

“We’ve got a four-game stretch before a bye coming up, so we are just looking at those four games and planning accordingly.

“But looking at the bigger picture of those four games and try and get as many points as possible because we have a late tour this year. So we have to get the points and win the home games as long as we stay in South Africa.”

This year’s Super Rugby season will run uninterrupted due to the World Cup in Japan later this year, culminating in the final on 6 July.

While the traditional break for the June international matches has come under criticism for robbing teams of momentum, Pollard said the change would not have too much of an influence.

“If you lose a couple of games it may not be as great because you’d want a reset,” Pollard said.

“The break does not make that big of a difference for us but it depends on where you are at as a side, where you are on the log and what your results have been lately.”

Meanwhile, Bulls coach Pote Human has added another new face to his backroom staff with scrum coach Daan Human joining the team in a shared capacity with the Cheetahs.

The Bulls yesterday revealed that the former Springbok prop would be co-opted in their coaching staff in a unique first for South African rugby.

“Human (Daan) will assist the Bulls as scrum coach in Super Rugby two days every week, the remainder of the period he will spend with the Cheetahs in their PRO14 campaign,” the Bulls said in a statement.

Pote said securing the scrum specialist’s services was a major coup for the Bulls and their hopes of a successful Super Rugby season.

“I firmly believe that Daan will pay a major role in taking us forward,” Pote said. “The great work he has done at the Cheetahs is obvious to see, and we are looking forward to him joining the Bulls family.”

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