PRETORIA – The Bulls are fast running out of time to find their groove in this year’s Super Rugby competition with two more home games before they go on their tour of Australasia.
The Pretoria side has shown moments of brilliance with a team brimming with talent and Springbok stalwarts.
The results sheet paints a picture of a team battling to find continuity with a win-one, lose-one pattern.
If this trend is anything to go by, the Bulls are up for another win following their one-point defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town last week.
The Bulls are still sitting relatively comfortably in second place in the South African Conference despite their stuttering record.
They had only managed to win two consecutive matches at the start of the campaign when they looked like real challengers for the Super Rugby crown.
They have suffered their fair share of disruptions thanks to injury losing their captain Lood de Jager just two games into the competition.
This week they received another body blow with Springbok Jesse Kriel being ruled out for between six and eight weeks because of an ankle injury.
This weekend provides them with a real opportunity to get out of their funk as they go up against the Waratahs at Loftus Versfeld.
Vodacom Bulls Team Announcement vs Waratahs #BullsFamily #BULvWAR pic.twitter.com/Rhk8iX2vub
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Loftus remains somewhat of a fortress when it comes to the Aussie teams where the Bulls have won 21 of their last 23 matches.
Bulls captain Handre Pollard warned against the threat of players like Kurtley Beale, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Bernard Foley.
“Bernard is a great player, we’ve played against him a few times, he is the heart and soul of that team,” Pollard said. “In saying that they have that many X-factor players, that whole backline is full of world-class players.”
The Bulls will be keeping a close eye on Waratahs flyhalf Bernard Foley when they do battle at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow in a vital Super Rugby clash for both teams. Photo: Craig Golding / EPA
Pollard concurred with Bulls coach Pote Human that the forwards would have to dominate up front if they wanted to gain any sort of ascendency in the match.
“It starts with the forwards disrupting every base and everything they play off,” Pollard said.
“The Australian sides like to play off rhythm and timing. If you take away that timing and rhythm away, you make it tough for them.”