Bulls on a mission to surprise WP

BLUE BULLS coach Pote Human pulled a rabbit out of the hat in starting with Springbok Sevens star Dylan Sage in the hope of inspiring his team to a surprise result in their Currie Cup semi-final clash against Western Province tomorrow.

Sage, who was an integral member of the World Sevens Series conquering Blitzbok outfit, has been handed his first starting berth for the Bulls this season in place of Franco Naude, and Human is hopeful that it will be the change required to spur his team into sending shockwaves throughout Newlands and the entire domestic rugby landscape tomorrow.

“I really believe he can bring something different, he is a good rugby player and he can be a special player with an X-factor, so that’s why we are giving him a chance in this big game,” said Human yesterday.

And in a last ditch effort to rectify the demolition they endured in the scrums in their 34-7 defeat at the hands of the very same Province outfit in their rain-drenched affair at Loftus last week, Human has beefed up his front row by moving Springbok prop Trevor Nyakane from tighthead to loosehead.

Nyakane replaces the inured Matthys Basson and will be embroiled in a mouth-watering duel against fellow Bok prop Wilco Louw, who had a standout performance in the scrums last week.

“We have pride in our own scrums so we will be ready for them. If it is dry, it will be a 50/50 battle,” Human added.

Another change in the Bulls side sees Bok wing Jamba Ulengo being dropped out of the match-day squad with the fit again Duncan Matthews being handed a starting berth on the wing.

While the talk around Loftus this week has been about the Bulls tempting fate and riding the wave of the lottery of playoff matches, Human believes his team won’t just be going to Cape Town to make up the numbers and that they stand a realistic chance of being the first team this season to beat the defending champions.

“Definitely and especially after Saturday in the rain. We know that they are by far the favourites and they deserve that. But we are not just going down to Cape Town to finish the game; we are also on a mission and we can surprise them, I believe,” he said.