Ludeke bows to ‘pressure’
Bulls coach quits in wake of team’s poor showing
FRANS Ludeke apparently succumbed to “pressure from outside” the union in stepping down as the Bulls’ Super Rugby and Currie Cup head coach. Ludeke’s decision was announced immediately after the Bulls’ embarrassing 42-29 defeat at Loftus Versfeld to a Cheetahs team loaded with players from Bloemfontein’s Varsity Cupwinning Shimlas team.
It was left to Bulls chief executive Barend van Graan to formalise the two-time Super Rugby-winning coach’s departure after he had been at the helm of the Pretoria side for the past eight years.
“It was the pressure from outside,” was Van Graan’s explanation for the parting of ways.
After the team’s post-match press conference on Saturday, Ludeke, who usually remains behind for chats with journalists, walked out after the question and answer session.
“Frans requested not to be here for the announcement,” Van Graan said when he delivered the news of the resignation.
The pressure on Ludeke has been building up over the past two sea- sons, and reached a crescendo this season when the side failed for the second season running to win any matches on their Australasian tour, taking their losing streak overseas to 11 since 2013.
The fans and, most tellingly, Bulls legend Naas Botha have been loudly calling for a change of coach, with the media also questioning his philosophy after failing to win any trophies since the 2010 Super Rugby title.
The past few weeks, which saw the side nose-dive to five consecutive defeats in the rear-end of this year’s Su- per Rugby campaign, suggested the 47-year-old, who won the 2009 and 2010 Super Rugby titles as well as the 2009 Currie Cup, had also lost the faith of the players.
“I don’t believe I lost the players,” Ludeke said. “I think everybody backed the campaign. Something special will come from this.
“Remember the Chiefs took a hiding here in the 2009 final, but then came back to win back-to-back titles.
“The Bulls have a rich tradition and the players know what it is about. There are no regrets. We gave it our best shot, but I guess our best was just not good enough.” It is therefore 149 matches and out for Ludeke after finishing just one match short of coaching in 150 Super Rugby matches. He has coached 125 at the Bulls and 24 with the Cats.
It is not yet clear what the future holds for Ludeke, but the union’s chief executive indicated the board was still in discussions about the next phase of the coach’s career.
Ludeke’s contract with the Bulls runs until the end of the 2016 season. The belief is that he will be retained as director of rugby. It is also not yet clear who will be taking over the Super Rugby coaching reins.
But Springbok assistant coach Johann van Graan and Bulls and Bok lock Victor Matfield are believed to be the front-runners for the post.
The appointment of Nollis Marais as Currie Cup coach will be an opportunity for the former junior coach to stamp his authority and make a mark with the board in the hope of extending his contract to beyond just the one season.
Marais, who also coached Tukkies in the Varsity Cup as well as the Bulls Vodacom Cup team, intends implementing a game that will be attractive to the Bulls supporters.
“If someone pays R1 to watch you play, you need to play as if that is their last cent. Players will need to play for the jersey,” the newly appointed coach said.
‘ We gave it our best shot, but I guess our best was just not good enough