Nollis will be pleased at the sight of the big Bulls
PRETORIA: Finally the cavalry is on its way to relieve the Bulls from their early season siege of bad results.
After an indifferent start to their Super Rugby campaign that has seen them suffer defeats at the hands of the Stormers and Cheetahs away from home, the Bulls will be looking at recording their first win of the tournament in their first game at fortress Loftus – and probably with a new-look team.
Nollis Marais will certainly be feeling confident after the week’s rest his team enjoyed with the mandatory bye, but it is the return of a handful of stars and veterans that will rekindle optimism in the side ahead of a tricky clash against the Sunwolves on Friday night.
Regular captain and hooker Adriaan Strauss will return to action after undergoing a back operation at the end of last year, and his leadership and abilities in the frontrow have been sorely missed.
Springbok lock Lood de Jager also returns after his debut against the Stormers only lasted half an hour due to concussion.
Another Springbok, Arno Botha, is ready for action after being sidelined by injury before the season began, and he could be the quick fix that Marais is looking for at openside flank with incumbent Nic de Jager struggling to make his presence felt.
The tall red haired lumbering figure of Jannes Kirsten will be another welcome presence in the pack as he, too, was given the green light to make his first appearance of the season.
Kirsten’s return is a timely one, with former Springbok and Waratahs flank Jacques Potgieter ruled out for another week because of a concussion sustained in the Bulls loss in Bloemfontein a fortnight ago.
“Jacques is still out with concussion and he will not be available for this week’s selection for the game against the Sunwolves but we trust he will be ready for our tour to New Zealand and Tokyo,” team doctor Herman Rossouw said yesterday.
The Bulls misfiring backs will also get a timely boost with Springbok centre Jan Serfontein over his injury woes, and his experience and abrasiveness will come in handy for a side that has lacked the spark of intent from early in their matches thus far.
On the periphery are Duncan Matthews and Jade Stighling, who are exciting and elusive runners in the backline, and prop John Roy Jenkins. Even though their return might not have an immediate impact on the looming threat that is the Sunwolves, they could prove to be valuable parts of the Bulls artillery during the course of the season.
For now, the Bulls are in dire need of their big guns to fire and do so at full speed as they seek redemption in a season that can easily implode, with a tour to New Zealand on the horizon and tricky home games against the Jaguares and Cheetahs in April.
As if that is not enough, the Bulls face a mammoth battle in the “month from hell”, as Marais calls May, where they will host the Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes and also play against the Lions in Johannesburg.