The Bulls may have advanced to the United Rugby Championship final last year, but they had to rally after suffering five losses in their first six contests.
They are eager to prevent that scenario from occurring again, beginning with Saturday’s first game against the Lions at Ellis Park (4.05pm kickoff).
The Pretoria team lost to Cardiff 29-19 in Wales after being destroyed 31-3 and 34-7 by Leinster and Connacht of Ireland, respectively.
But after that came defeats to the Stormers (30-26), the Sharks (30-16), and Edinburgh (17-10), all of which came in away games.
To avoid another knockout-style league season and to get to the playoffs, coach Jake White will want a far stronger start to this campaign.
In the previous season, the Bulls’ comeback started against the Lions, whom they beat 34-10 and 21-13 in back-to-back weeks in late January and early February. The Bulls then went on to win seven of their next eight games to immediately reclaim the title.
The inaugural URC game is underway, and everyone is thrilled. Everyone is eagerly anticipating the first game after six weeks of preseason practise, the captain Marcell Coetzee remarked this week from Loftus Versfeld.
It’s the first game, so it could be a little rusty and disorganised (as they had a five-week off-season break). However, if we can settle in right away and apply our systems while also regaining our composure, the game should go along at a nice pace.
“We want to leave a lasting impression early in the competition. Playing a good team like the Lions should be challenging, but we welcome the challenge,” said the team.
We participated in the event for the first time last year, so there were plenty of questions and concerns. We should be pleased with the way we behaved throughout the competition, in my opinion. But because this is a brand-new competition and the teams are already acquainted, foreign players visiting South Africa are aware of what to anticipate.
“In other words, it depends on how rapidly you can adjust to your structures and processes. We weren’t satisfied with a couple aspects of our performance, especially at the end. However, we have time to pause and make some necessary adjustments that would help us advance.
Some notable players have left the Lions, including flanker Vincent Tshituka, prop Carlu Sadie, centres Burger Odendaal and Wandisile Simelane, who is currently at the Bulls.
However, the Johannesburg team will still be a force to be reckoned with, and the Bulls will find it difficult to handle their tough front pack.
The 31-year-old Coetzee predicted that the team will want to impose themselves at the breakdown because “we know the quality of the loosies that they have and the leadership of Jaco Kriel.”
“I always enjoy myself when I play at Ellis Park. Rugby matches are played in a fantastic location, and the Lions are a top-notch team.
“The benefit of the six-week preseason is to blend in a little, and they have adjusted nicely. The new arrivals have really cemented themselves extremely well and integrated fast into the team dynamic, and there is some excellent potential emerging.
I’m quite interested to see how they do this weekend. They seem to be having fun, so perhaps they can demonstrate that on the field.