Bulls remain a danger — Coenie

Springbok and Sharks tighthead prop Coenie Oosthuizen says the mindshift from Test match to Super Rugby could be their biggest obstacle ahead of their clash with the Bulls on Friday evening.

The Sharks contributed a fair number of players to the Springbok and the SA A cause, and many players distinguished themselves.

It has not been the same for the Bulls‚ with whom the New Zealand teams and the Stormers have wiped the floor. The Cheetahs and Lions also claimed their piece of Pretoria pound.

While Oosthuizen acknowledged the Bulls were in a bad place‚ the blockbusting tighthead prop said the Bulls were at their most dangerous.

“Some of the players in the Bulls side have featured for the Springboks and the SA A side and once they pitch up physically‚ they’re going to be the most dangerous side‚” he said.

“It’s a South African derby and those are one of the toughest games to deal with.

“It’s a challenge that we need to embrace. What your results say don’t necessarily speak to how the camp is run.

“There are times when things don’t go your way. The Bulls are a good side and the players we have are very good. It’s a new challenge‚ especially after the international break.

“It’s about getting back into the structure and understanding the game plan and doing a mindshift in terms of preparation for the Bulls.”

Having the misfortune of being in the same conference as the Lions has spurred the Sharks to collect points to ensure their playoff spot. They have collected more points (42) than the conference one leaders, the Stormers (30).

There is also the small matter of the Sharks losing lock Ruan Botha to a three-week suspension for foul play in Friday’s SA A game against the French Barbarians in Soweto.

Andre Esterhuizen swaps with him from the naughty bin, but the Sharks have not missed the burly inside centre.

Oosthuizen knows that the Bulls backs have not fired, but they have enough quality as individuals to give teams sleepless nights.

“They have got some workhorses and when you look at the calibre of players they’ve got, such as Jesse Kriel and Jan Serfontein‚ those are players who’ve showed their dominance in SA. If we don’t stop them‚ it’s going to be a long day‚” he said. /