Sharks wary of evolving Bulls
Cell C Sharks coach Gary Gold believes the Blue Bulls are no longer the one-dimensional brute force side they used to be.
The Pretoria outfit have played a refined expansive game behind their ever-dominant pack in the Absa Currie Cup this season. Their back-three, which has featured the brilliant fullback Warrick Gelant and wings Jamba Ulengo and Travis Ismael, have run riot this season as a result of their new-found willingness to play running rugby.
These were the general sentiments of Gold, who was full of compliments for the Bulls outfit ahead of their crunch clash in Durban this Friday night and highlighted the improvements in their playing style.
“They’ve definitely evolved, there is no question about it. They’ve taken their strengths and used it as a foundation but they’ve definitely expanded their game,” Gold explained.
“You look at their back-three and the way their running the ball. I think when Tiaan Schoeman plays flyhalf he runs the show very well and him and Francois Hougaard are a very good half-back combination. They move the ball beautifully, they get the ball into the outside channels and they ask a lot of questions of you.”
“It’s definitely not the Bulls of old. They’re not one-dimensional – like when they had runners off 9 going the same way, their flyhalf kicking for the corners or their 9 kicking up-and-unders. They’ve definitely asked a lot more questions of teams in this campaign. We see them as a serious threat – we’ve got a lot of respect for them and we’ll show them that on Saturday night.”
With just three games left to go before the playoffs, the Sharks need to win the rest of their matches if they are to ensure a spot in the playoffs of the competition. The Bulls will also be feeling the heat, having lost their lost two outings.
“It’s not do or die yet but it’s pretty close to that and it’s important for us to continue to improve every week and put in a good performance – Friday night against the Bulls at home, it doesn’t get any bigger than that so we’re excited about the prospect and there is no more motivation needed. The guys are really up for it,” Gold said.
The Sharks host the Bulls at Growthpoint Kings Park on Friday night. Kick-off is at 20h00.
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(File Photo: Gallo Images)