Scrum coach Werner Kruger was delighted with how the Vodacom Bulls overcame the absence of an ill Jake White and Chris Smith for their bonus-point win against the Dragons on Friday night.
Bulls director of rugby White and flyhalf Smith were ruled out on the eve of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash in Newport due to flu, and watched from the team hotel as the Bulls claimed a morale-boosting 29-14 victory at Rodney Parade.
Johan Goosen replaced Smith into the starting XV, while Kruger and forwards coach Russell Winter took charge in the coaches’ box.
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“It’s a bit of a disruption, and we planned the whole week with Chris, and Jake was obviously involved,” Kruger said post-match from Wales on Saturday. “All credit to the team and everyone who stepped up, filling little roles and coming together to make it work on game-day.
“Credit to Johan too, for stepping into flyhalf. It took a bit of a reshuffle, but the boys switched on and stayed focused on the task at hand.”
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The Bulls raced into a 17-0 lead in the first half, but were under the pump as Dragons scored twice to make it a three-point game at the break.
Tries from Harold Vorster and Bismarck du Plessis in the second half sealed the result and the all-important bonus point, ending a run of three successive defeats in the URC and European Champions Cup.
Kruger added: “We had a good start, and all of a sudden, they came back – it was due to our lack of exiting our half. We didn’t kick the ball out, and they ended up scoring that try around the front of the lineout. We just said we need to manage that territory battle a little bit better and get out of our half.
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“We said beforehand – myself and Russell, it takes a special performance away from home [to win]. It starts upfront, and it was good to see the boys fronting up, especially away from home, where it’s not always easy to get your mauls and scrums going.
“It was a great evening for the boys, and it’s always good to see them going forward. May it continue, and it is a crucial week for us now to back up what we did on the weekend.”
Kruger said White and Smith were feeling better and will be involved in the preparation for the Champions Cup rematch against Exeter Chiefs in Pretoria next Saturday.
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