Bulls to draw on memory of past success
BULLS captain Pierre Spies didn’t mince his words yes terday when he revealed that his team had their eyes firmly set on the Super Rugby trophy.
However, before adding a fourth title to their haul of three trophies that they won over a period of four years, they will have to negotiate their way through some tough encounters over the next month, starting with tomorrow’s game against the Blues at Eden Park in Auckland.
Spies is making a return to the starting team after coming off the bench in the Bulls’ last match against the Lions, and is one of three changes made by Bulls coach Frans Ludeke.
With Spies returning at No 8, Springbok Arno Botha has been moved to flank in place of Jacques du Plessis, who drops to the bench.
Scrumhalf Rudy Paige returns to the starting line-up after a three-week injury layoff, in place of the injured Piet van Zyl.
With renewed energy for leading his team into action, Spies spoke frankly of their belief that they could secure themselves a home semi-final, which would be key to getting their hands on the trophy that they last won five years ago.
“We did speak about the bigger picture and playing for the home semi-final. But before we get there, we will need to take it week by week and keep our target at the back of our minds,” Spies said from the team hotel in the centre of Auckland yesterday.
For the Bulls to make significant strides on this fourmatch tour of New Zealand and Australia, they will need to revisit a watershed chapter in their not-so-glittering history abroad and take note of their victory against the Blues in Auckland two years ago.
While most of the Bulls players on that day are no longer part of the team, it is up to the remaining ones to relive some of the moments that brought the Bulls success on that day.
Spies believes that the team must feed off that memory and what they have done well this season to place themselves in a favourable position to make the play-offs.
“A lot of the guys who were at Eden Park that day will take a lot of confidence from that win, and the rest of the team must feed off it. That win was important because it gave us the belief that we can win anywhere in the world. We must do it again (tomorrow),” Spies said.
He is under no about the difficulty illusion of winning away from home, but believes their ability to overcome New Zealand opposition this season, and their improved defence, will pull them through.
“The way they (the Blues) attack with ball in hand makes them a very dangerous side. We have come a long way with our defence, we believe in our system, we defend for each other and we will need to take that into the game with us” he said.
If the Bulls continue on the same path that has seen them lose just two of their last eight matches, and if they can tap into the memory of having won at Eden Park, then Spies’s desire to claim another title could start to become reality.
Kick-off: 9.35am (tomorrow, SA time); TV: SuperSport 1