Mitchell closes Bulls book on Paige
Bulls executive of rugby John Mitchell says the decision to omit Rudy Paige from his Super Rugby squad is based on the need to look to the future.
At 28‚ Paige is the oldest of the Bulls halfbacks as Embrose Papier (20)‚ Ivan van Zyl (22) and André Warner (24) have time on their side. The fact that Paige is one of the national team scrumhalves did not count in his favour, and neither did the fact that he is still injured.
Mitchell said omitting Paige from the squad was a tough decision, but in Papier‚ they have a promising scrumhalf.
“Rudy has been fantastic for the union‚” Mitchell said. “He’s given a lot but I thought it was time to move forward with the young No 9s.
“I like a very fast No 9 and all the nines we’ve selected have got the ability and Papier is an up-and-coming and potentially world-class scrumhalf.
“He’s demonstrated that in his age group and showed that in the Under-20 World Cup.
“Rudy’s recovering from injury‚ he’s just got married and should we have injury problems, we’ll be fortunate to have someone of his calibre step in.
“When it comes to selecting a Super Rugby side‚ it takes time and this has taken a lot longer than I would like. Next year, we’ll be able to name a side a lot earlier and it was important for me not to be hasty and to make sure I had enough information on players meeting standards.
“And looking at their character under pressure, and when you have 38 players‚ you’ll have players who’ll be third- or fourth-ranked. We’re going to need them to be ready at some point during the season.”
Mitchell has a tough task of turning the Bulls around after a terrible 2017 Super Rugby campaign that hastened the demise of Nollis Marais.
The Bulls were seventh in the SA conference, with only four wins from 15 matches.
They were also on the receiving end of a huge home defeat to ultimate champions the Crusaders (62-24) while the Southern Kings also ransacked what remained of the Loftus Versfeld fortress (31-30).
Mitchell said they still have a long way to go, but the next four weeks will be an important time for them. They open their account against the Highlanders on February 24.
“We’ve still got a long way to go and we’ve built some solid foundations. We’ve tried a different approach and I think our athletes are really healthy and robust,” he said.
“We’ve worked heavily on our individual skill sets and there is a great attitude among the players.
“We talked about selection before and we said it wasn’t hasty. We have selected some really quality men in this group who are keen‚ driven and connected,” Mitchell said.
“Pressure will challenge us as well along with the trials, which is something we need.
“We need to be put under stress over the next four weeks before we go to the competition,” he said. /