Africa-Press – South-Africa. The rot stops at ten matches.
Jake White’s first match officially in charge of the Bulls’ Currie Cup outfit – though the talent in their match-day was undeniably URC-quality – ended with a morale-boosting and ultimately comprehensive 40-3 victory over Griquas at Loftus on Friday evening.
Forced to knuckle down after a week of searching questions over his long-term project and the optics of demoting Edgar Marutlulle, who’d taken charge of the team for the first four rounds, the franchise’s director of rugby expressed his faith in his group as well as his own abilities, while also making a few eye-catching claims.
One of them – that the Bulls’ squad requires an infusion of Springbok class – was criticised in some quarters because of the perception of some lavish spending over the past three years, but the wily former Springbok coach was proven right to some extent in this match.
The presence of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie, the side’s two regular national players currently, made a huge difference.
Arendse was electrifying as ever, providing two try assists with some incisive and slippery counter-attacking play, the first from a superb run on the right touchline from an agonising Griquas turnover – Gustav du Rand’s off-load merely needed to stick to Luther Obi for a scoring opportunity – before putting the Bulls on their way in the second half, audaciously wriggling out of contact when a tactical kick seemed an easier option.
His run led to David Kriel cruising in a few passes later.
Meanwhile, Moodie was full of initiative and two of his chips into space put the visitors’ wobbly defensive line under huge pressure.
The 20-year-old’s reads on defence unmistakably bore the mark of a player operating on a higher level than many of the others around him.
However, in Embrose Papier, the Bulls were given an overdue reminder that a forgotten Springbok approaching his prime years can be just as impactful as a current national player.
Like his teammates, the 25-year-old halfback will still be exposed to sterner challenges in the next fortnight as the Bulls aim to salvage their URC campaign and can still be sharper in terms of his decision-making.
Indeed, there was a nippy kick ahead that went dead in the second half that saw a potential scoring opportunity going a begging though that was the only blip on what was one of his best showings in a blue jersey in recent times.
Papier kicked beautifully from the base of the ruck, consistently finding the ideal height and distance to put Griquas’ fielders under immense pressure.
He was instrumental in making the dart from close range that allowed Ruan Vermaak to canter in for the Bulls’ opener and was on hand to receive Arendse’s pass for his own long-range, deserved score.
Revelling behind a pack that asserted itself throughout, his nifty short passes and quick movements added value to the hosts’ power game.
It’s true that the Peacock Blues’ own brand of waywardness meant the Bulls weren’t troubled on the scoreboard, but, after conceding 22 tries in the first four matches of the Currie Cup, keeping a clean sheet will imbue the players with some confidence.
The Bulls weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but they were determined and showed promising calmness in their processes.
That’s, at the very least, a start to a bigger repair job.
Point scorers:
Bulls 40 (26)
Tries: Ruan Vermaak, Mornay Smith, Cyle Brink, Embrose Papier, David Kriel, Gerhard Steenekamp
Conversions: Chris Smith (5)
Griquas 3 (3)
Penalty: George Whitehead
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