Bulls halfbacks may put boot into Lions
THE last time the Bulls and Lions faced each other was in the Currie Cup semi-final on January 23.
It was a tight game at Loftus Versfeld – arguably closer than most people expected – and the home side held on for a 26-21 triumph despite a second-half fightback from the Lions.
One of the reasons the Johannesburg side lost was due to poor discipline, with Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn able to slot three penalties out of four, while the Lions weren’t able to garner a single penalty shot at goal.
Steyn’s boot was also instrumental in the opening try by Stravino Jacobs with a deft grubber that was snapped up by the Bulls wing.
The Lions appeared frantic at times with ball-in-hand, and were let down by a number of handling errors on the day, and it is something they will have to avoid if they hope to gain revenge in Saturday’s Rainbow Cup SA clash at Loftus Versfeld (7pm kick-off).
While the Bulls have made tremendous progress with their attacking approach, the boots of Steyn, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl and fullback David Kriel have also played a crucial role in driving their team forward.
Coach Jake White will be sure to exploit the absence of Lions captain Elton Jantjies, who has joined French club Pau on a shortterm deal as an injury replacement.
The Springbok pivot is the heart and soul of the Lions side, and without him, coach Ivan van Rooyen could call on former Cheetahs flyhalf Fred Zeilinga.
While an efficient goal-kicker, Zeilinga arguably lacks the distance that the likes of Steyn and Co can achieve with tactical kicks, while Ross Cronjé has a long way to go to regain the form that made him a Springbok in 2017.
Tiaan Swanepoel, though, does possess a massive boot, but it depends on where the Lions coach plays him, as he can operate at flyhalf and fullback, while EW Viljoen is also an option at No 15.
Whichever way Van Rooyen goes with his selection at halfback and fullback, though, the Lions will have a major challenge in trying to deal with the Bulls’ kicking game.
Steyn in particular produced some sparkling displays last season, which led to him being selected for the recent Springbok alignment camps.
The 36-year-old will want to show that those displays were no fluke, and that he should warrant serious consideration from Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber for a Test recall against the British and Irish Lions in July.
Similarly, Van Zyl was voted as the Bulls’ Super Rugby Unlocked Back of the Season for a superb campaign, and he will look to impress the Bok management once more, despite having signed a deal with English club Saracens, which starts on July 1.