Desperate to bounce back from the disappointing loss in Glasgow, the Vodacom Bulls have already identified a Springbok-shaped weakness in their next opponent, Munster. DYLAN JACK reports.
Coming off their first loss of the season, a 35-21 defeat away to Glasgow Warriors, the Bulls have the opportunity to get back on track against a struggling Munster side.
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Under new head coach Graham Rowntree, who took over from Johann van Graan this season, the Irish outfit has just one win and is in 12th place on the table.
Munster suffered something of a mini exodus when Van Graan left, with Springbok centre Damian de Allende among the 10 players exiting.
“Damian will be a big miss for them,” Bulls assistant coach Chris Rossouw told media on Tuesday. “Some of their guys were with the Ireland A side that just got back from a tour in South Africa. They are basically the same outfit from last season in terms of how they play. They have a strong forward pack and good backs.
“Damian is a world-class player, so he will be sorely missed. We can see that already.”
Looking back to the loss against Glasgow, backline coach Rossouw said the Bulls were left frustrated by their inability to convert their opportunities, but also hinted at further frustration with the referee’s interpretation of the breakdown and maul.
“It was a big disappointment. In this competition, if you are off your game, you are going to take points. Having the good squad that we have and with the way we were looking forward to the tour, it was disappointing to perform the way we did.
“It was frustrating. We got multiple 22-entries but couldn’t convert. Our maul got disrupted, whether that was legal or illegal I’m not allowed to comment, but we need to find another way. They also attacked our breakdown, but we cleared those interpretation issues with the referee.
“We need to step up. We can’t have that many opportunities and not convert.”
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The Bulls appeared to get caught in a cycle against Glasgow, constantly opting for the lineout and maul from penalties, even when it was clear that plan was not working.
“The ultimate goal of any coach is to have a team that in the moment can make a plan and adapt,” said Rossouw. “It’s something we try to incorporate in training, those constraints and pressure.
“In this game, we didn’t adapt. It was difficult for us to catch up.
“In terms of the positives, we did make so many opportunities. We need to be smarter in terms of unlocking the defence. We’ve discussed varying our game and having different options.
“Adaptability is an area where we are growing as a group. It’s the mark of a good team.”
Rossouw confirmed that the Bulls have welcomed back Bok flyer Sbu Nkosi for this weekend’s clash, while Johan Goosen is also available after being rested against Glasgow.
Kick-off for Saturday’s match between Munster and the Bulls at Thomond Park is at 8.35pm.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
